James McBean Residence

The James McBean Residence is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Rochester, built in 1957. The structure features horizontal wood board and batten siding paired with concrete blocks, clerestory windows, and a cantilevered flat roof that exemplifies Wright's approach to affordable housing design.

Built in the 1950s, this house emerged from a partnership between Wright and architect Marshall Erdman to create affordable, prefabricated dwellings. The project represented an experiment in proving that high-quality design could be achieved without high costs.

The house demonstrates how Wright used simple building materials to create a thoughtfully designed home that felt special despite its modest approach. The strong horizontal lines and large windows show a design philosophy that merged beauty with practical living.

The residence sits on a residential street and can be viewed from the exterior, even though the interior is not open for tours. Walking by the property gives you a clear view of the architecture and how it fits into the neighborhood.

Only two of the Prefab 2 houses that Wright and Erdman designed were actually built, and this is one of them. The floor plan matches the Walter Rudin House exactly, showing how Wright could adapt the same design to different locations.