The Cheney House Would Change Wright’s life
As Wright’s fame in the architectural community exploded, he took on more commissions around Oak Park and Chicago. Edwin Cheney, an Oak Park electrical engineer, contacted his neighbor Wright about designing a new house for him, his wife Mamah, and their two children. Wright and his wife Kitty got along well with the Cheneys. It was not unusual for them to get together to socialize outside of the project. Wright and Mamah got along very well. As the couple’s friendship bloomed, so did their quiet romance. But it did not stay quiet for long. In 1909, Mamah left her husband to join Wright, who was in Europe to work on projects and avoid more scrutiny, triggering an international scandal and leaving Catherine devastated. While Mamah and her husband quickly divorced, Catherine refused, believing Frank’s fling was a temporary thing and he would come home to her and his six children.