The Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House is modest on purpose. Frank Lloyd Wright designed it in 1936 as the first of his Usonian houses, an experiment in bringing good modern architecture within reach of middle-class American families. Its low roof, brick core, built-in furniture, and garden-facing plan became a template Wright returned to for decades.
The house is privately owned, so this is a look-from-the-street stop rather than a museum visit. It is still worth the detour for architecture-minded travelers because its scale is so different from Wright’s grander public buildings. Stand back, respect the residents, and notice how much of later suburban modernism is already present in this small Madison house.