Exploring Nature at the Charnley-Norwood House

While on vacation in the South, Chicago based architect Louis H. Sullivan (known as the “Father of the Skyscraper”) took a special liking to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. So much so that he decided to invest in waterfront property and immediately designed two neighboring homes there–one for himself and one for his friends, James & Helen Charnley, who were also enamored with the idea of a coastal refuge from Chicago’s urban environment and harsh winters. Although better known for his high-rise urban buildings, Sullivan designed these rural vacation retreats with a long, low orientation that blended into the natural surroundings of the coastal plain which was instrumental in inspiring the career trajectory of his young draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright. The Charnleys referred to the property as “Charmleigh” meaning Charming Meadow. The home was later sold to the Fred & Elizabeth Norwood in the summer of 1896. Participants are welcome to…