EP270: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Massacre

Crimes and Consequences

True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.6 • 859 Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On a quiet hill in Spring Green, Wisconsin, the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright built his dream home — a sanctuary of design and serenity he called Taliesin. But on a warm August day in 1914, that dream turned to ash and blood. This is not just a story of architectural genius or personal tragedy. It’s a chilling tale of obsession, rage, and a massacre that shattered the peaceful facade of one of America’s most iconic homes. A servant with a hidden grudge… a fire with deadly intent… and seven people left brutally murdered, including the woman Wright loved most.

SOURCES:
1) "Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders" by William R. Drennan

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode may contain content of a graphic nature, including descriptions of physical and sexual violence against adults, children, and animals.
0:18.9	Listener discretion is advised.
0:32.8	Hi, I'm Shannon.
0:34.1	Hi, I'm Tanya.
0:39.4	And we are Crimes and Consequences, a hardcore true crime podcast.
0:47.4	Hey, Shannon. Hey, Tanya. How are you doing? I am doing pretty good for this day after our long holiday weekend. Yes. And it's hard. I'm not going to complain. I'm just going to state that it's hard to know what day it is with a two-week-old.
0:57.6	And I say that with much glee, even though you don't hear it in my voice, because of how extremely tired I am.
1:06.0	But, yes, it was a nice holiday.
1:08.2	This weather was great.
1:09.6	What did you guys do?
1:10.4	Did you barbecue? What did you do? barbecue? Yes. We spent some time outside. Did some errands. I spent a lot of time outside because the weather was so beautiful. So yeah, you have to when it's like that. Oh, we've been waiting. We've been waiting since, gosh, what september for these nice sunny days to come back so
1:29.4	i am here for it like mild times beautiful sun so yeah it was a little hard getting up this morning
1:35.9	and people were crazy today at my job no not driving but like people sending in complaints and whatever and like people be wild and out there.
1:47.0	I don't know.
1:47.6	Like you think it was a full moon.
1:48.9	That's how crazy it was.
1:50.2	Dang.
1:50.7	It's just the weather.
1:51.9	It's something.
1:52.6	It takes so little nowadays.
1:54.2	You think it was the moon.
1:55.3	But now, geez, what time is it?
	...

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