architect and having a strong relationship with one's client. The clients were wealthy and had enough money to have the house built—although their friendship barely survived the ill treatment of Wright's first wife and family and unpaid loans Wright is said to have had with Willits, eventually repaid with sales of some of the many Japanese prints acquired on the trip. Nonetheless, Ward Willits spent many years with his wife in the house and lived there until his death in 1950. Post-1954 The house was purchased in 1983 and the new owner began renovations. The new owner and his wife mainly completed the work, focusing on returning the building to a point in time approximating 1909, and they made sure to maintain Wright's unique features throughout the house. The restoration was acknowledged by many to be Museum quality, and received a Driehaus award. The house still sits on the same site in Highland Park, Illinois and is a common attraction for those who want to view a piece of architectural history. The Frank Lloyd Wright "Tour of the North Shore" currently explores the northern suburbs of Chicago along Lake Michigan to see one dozen Frank Lloyd Wright houses, including the Ward Willits House. See also Ward Hinckley House, a Maine house (not designed by Wright) based on this one References Storrer, William Allin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, (S.054) External links Willits House on waymarking.com Frank Lloyd Wright buildings Highland Park, Illinois Prow houses Houses completed in 1901 Houses in Lake County, Illinois Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Lake County, Illinois Prairie School architecture in Illinois