Meyer May House

The Meyer May House is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in the Heritage Hill Historic District of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the United States. It was built in 1908-09, and is located at 450 Madison Avenue SE. It is considered a fine example of Wright's Prairie School era, and "Michigan's Prairie masterpiece".HistoryThe Meyer May House was commissioned in 1908 by Meyer S. May, president of May's clothing store in Grand Rapids, and his wife Sophie. The house's appearance stands in contrast to the Victorian houses typical of the period and the Heritage Hill neighborhood.Meyer May House is stylistically typical of Wright's Prairie houses, a two story, T-plan constructed of pale brick, with hip roofs and long broad eaves, art glass windows and skylights. The first floor windows are tucked under the eaves and raised from ground level, providing both privacy and providing light to the staircase and second floor gallery.Wright carefully sited the house to allow maximum southern exposure for the living room windows and skylights and to create a spacious yard for the perennial gardens. Leaded and colored glass accented doors and casement windows open out to terraces and gardens with garden walls and planters incorporated into the design.