by Hannah Snyder Wernecke
I recently stumbled upon this little piece of history about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Clarksburg Casket Company. Spoiler alert: FLW designed three caskets and one of them you can still purchase today! Before I dive into caskets, let me give you a quick summary of Frank Lloyd Wright's life and legacy.
Who was Frank Lloyd Wright?
FLW in 1926
Frank Lloyd Wright is the most famous architect in the world. No, really, if you Google "most famous architect in the world" he shows up first. FLW's designs ranged from affordable housing to glamorous hotels. He was also well-known for his temper, narcissism, and dramatic personal life. Click here for a sensationalized account of his life as only the NY Post can write. Truly a man who experienced the spectrum of human emotion.
Fallingwater vacation home designed for the Kaufmann family of department store fame.
FLW is best known for his work on the 'Prairie style' homes in the Midwest, which emphasized horizontal lines and a connection to nature. He also designed the famous Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania (pictured above), and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. He completed over 500 projects throughout his career. In addition to buildings, he often designed the furniture and the fixtures inside. After designing so many objects used in everyday life (chairs, tables, lamps, etc.) it should be no surprise that he would design a casket.
Stay with me here as I introduce not just another Frank but another FLW: Frank Lusk Wilson.
Who was Frank Lusk Wilson?
Frank Lusk Wilson was born on August 7th, 1864, in Pittsburgh and he married Elizabeth Estelle Brown on July 6th, 1899. Frank was 34 and his blushing bride was a 23 year-old schoolteacher (here you can see their marriage application). Together they had at least 4 sons and 3 daughters. In 1906, Frank Wilson founded Clarksburg Casket Co. in Clarksburg, West Virginia—this was a leap of faith after leaving the Freedom Casket company which he had managed for 5 years. For the next century, Clarksburg Casket made a niche in the market with its specialty hardwood casket designs and a number of their designs are still in production today.
The men in this photo were West Virginian funeral directors attending an embalming seminar. We believe Frank L. Wilson, founder, is in the group on far right.
We don't know the year, but Frank Wilson took a vacation, presumably with his wife and children, to The Outer Banks which are barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. 
The Outer Banks have been a popular tourist spot since the mid-1800s. Here's a 1920s era photo of Nags Head, one of the most visited islands. Tourists would arrive by steamboat and bridges were constructed for easier access to the island in the 1930s.
Beachgoers dressed in what we would consider formal attire and carried a parasol to hide from the sun. Maybe it was just a few years later that Frank, Elizabeth, and their seven children were skipping down that pier, excited and ready for a vacation.
An unknown family on Nags Head in the 1920s. Woolen swimsuits could be worn on the beach but never on the ferry or in other public places.
Can't you just imagine Frank and Frank bumping into one another on a beach vacation? Maybe it was a dinner reservation for "Frank W," or perhaps a monogrammed item on the beach like a towel or a lighter was mixed up between the two. I like to think maybe the hotel gave them both the key to the same room and one Frank walked in on the other Frank. However it happened, the Franks became acquainted on this trip. They remained in touch and after a number of years as friends, Mr. Wilson was able to convince Mr. Wright to make some sketches of casket designs for his company. 
There were three caskets made that were created from the Franks' friendship: the Marquette Mahogany, the DeMille Walnut, and the Monticello Cherry. Frank Lloyd Wright houses sell for well over one million dollars today—even the tiny Usonian homes—so while you may not be able to live in one of FLW's homes, you can rest permanently in one of his designs, though it still comes at a premium. Here are the four caskets designed by FLW including the only one still being made...
Marquette Mahogany
This is the casket I'm most excited to show you because IT IS STILL IN PRODUCTION TODAY. While in limited quantities due to the craftsmanship involved, this casket can still be purchased in North America. It's a solid Mahogany construction with Cashmere Premium Velvet and the most unique pallbearer's handles which are all-wood and built into the frame. The wood inlay panels are very typical FLW and the base is reminicent of overhanging eaves which are a hallmark of his Prairie Style architecture.
These are special-order units so there are only one 1 or 2 available in America on any given day. You can expect to pay anywhere from $14,000 to $18,000 for such a fine casket. Clarksburg caskets are not sold to the general public, so the only way for you to buy one would be to purchase through a licensed funeral home. As a fan of FLW's work, I was excited to update my pre-arrangements and hope this casket stays in production for a long time to come.
Monticello Cherry
The Monticello was a solid Cherry wood casket with Beige Premium Velvet and individual metal wreath handles for the pallbearers—a feature that is very unusual and striking. I'm guessing the handles were made of brass judging by the photo. Having spoken with several funeral directors who have buried a number of Monticellos in years past, they all remember this casket as being painful to carry for the pallbearers. My family's funeral home sold one as recently as 2004, but it was on the display floor and may have ceased production some years prior.
DeMille Walnut
The DeMille Walnut was, of course, named for Cecil B. DeMille, the American film director. Here is a photograph of pallbearers carrying his casket and he was in fact buried in his namesake casket as you can see by the corner carving. The photograph's caption dated January 28, 1959 incorrectly lists the casket as oak, but really the unit was solid Walnut and the interior was in a color called Silver Beige. Our family funeral home sold one as recently as 2008 (the price back then was $7,900), but again we aren't certain which year production ceased. FLW favored using wood including walnut in his designs, but funny enough never designed a casket using his favorite wood: cypress.
Olgivanna Copper
Frank Lloyd Wright actually designed a fourth casket: for his wife Olgivanna Lloyd Wright. It was made of copper, with a design inspired by "Mayan revival" architecture. Olgivanna was FLW's third and last wife, outliving him by 26 years. The casket was never used, and though I could not find a photo, it is said to be on display at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois.
FLW's Casket
Another interesting discovery I made in researching this topic was that Frank Lloyd Wright himself was not buried in a casket of his own design. In fact, he was both buried and cremated! He was first buried in 1959 at Unity Chapel Cemetery in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Click here to see a photo of his pallbearers carrying him to his temporary resting place. Notice that he is not in a hardwood casket like you would expect for the Father of Organic Architecture, but rather a solid bronze. Olgivanna later planned the removal of Wright's body from his Wisconsin grave. Supposedly, she found an updated will written by FLW requesting these arrangements. After Olgivanna's death, his body was disinterred, his remains cremated, and his ashes mixed with hers and then divided: some spread over the Arizona desert and the rest scattered on the Wright estate (3 different locations within Taliesin West according to staff members).
Clarksburg Caskets
You can purchase other Clarksburg caskets at most funeral homes nationwide such as this solid Pecan pictured which is called the Sebring. It has a dark satin stain, hand painted copper detail on the carved beading, and a white brocade interior. Expect the price to range from $5,000 to $7,000.
Dedicated to the memory of Frank Lusk Wilson (1864-1954), Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), and Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959). Special thanks to Bruce Fenn, former Clarksburg plant manager, and to Ben Hamilton with Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions for their help with my research. If you have any supplementary information or photographs, write me! hannah@snyderfuneralhomes.com
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