Parks, Recreation & Leisure

Parks, Recreation & Leisure / Parks & Forestry

Tree Talk

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The Burton Westcott House

The Burton Westcott house at 1340 East High St. in Springfield, OH was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1904 in his Prairie style. He modified the design after a trip to Japan in 1905 and the home was finished in 1908. It recently underwent a four year 5.3 million dollar restoration and is now open to the public as a museum. Wright designed not only the home but also its' recreated first floor furnishings. A 98 foot long pergola connects the home to a matching garage- carriage barn. A plot plan was discovered in Wright's studio to guide a recreation of the original landscaping. Saucer magnolias flank each side of the south facade to soften the view from the sleeping porches. The restored reflecting pool near the tile terrace will once again be shaded by twin elms. Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm) was used to protect from Dutch Elm disease. Roses grow near the pergola and a Japanese garden is planned for out back. Original and replacement urns dot the property, including two seven foot high ones that flank the terrace.

King and Ben Thompson did not have the foresight to hire Frank Lloyd Wright when they designed their new "Country Club District" in 1918. They did however realize the importance of surrounding the new homes with beautiful landscaping. Much attention was given to the planting of trees, including Scarlet and Red oaks on both Tremont and Arlington Avenues. Many of the original Upper Arlington trees planted in the newly developed Miller farm have succumbed to age and disease. None of the original elms remain. It takes a continued effort both in the public right of way and on private property to keep the community looking as its' founders dreamed. Identical replacement is not always possible due to disease and availability but one can strive to mimic size and visual characteristics in new plantings.

It is well worth a trip to Springfield to see what Frank Lloyd Wright placed on an ordinary city residential lot. A visit to www.westcotthouse.org gives tour times and other information. Upper Arlington is visited every year on the Independence Day holiday by folk who once lived here. We owe it to all of them to keep Upper Arlington as beautiful as their memories of it.

Parks & Forestry Division
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5340