Darwin D. Martin American businessman Country: USA

1. Biography of Darwin Martin
2. Early Life and Career
3. Friendship with Frank Lloyd Wright
4. Later Years and Legacy
5. Darwin Martin passed away in 1935 after a series of strokes.

Biography of Darwin Martin

Darwin Martin was an American businessman who was active in the state of New York in the early 20th century. He is best known for his house, built according to the design of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Early Life and Career

Martin was born in Bouckville, New York. His childhood was difficult as he lost his mother at the age of six and his family soon fell apart. Martin and one of his brothers were forced to move to New York City. At a young age, Martin worked selling soap and even personally visited the Larkin Soap Company in search of work. Elbert Hubbard, one of the top executives of the company at the time, became Martin's idol. Martin worked tirelessly, only taking four days off each year. Thanks to his efforts, the company expanded rapidly and became a worthy competitor to the soap giant Sears and Roebuck Co. Martin introduced the idea of convenient filing systems to replace bulky account books, which was considered revolutionary at the time. When Hubbard left the company, Martin took his place.

Friendship with Frank Lloyd Wright

Martin's brother, William Martin, who lived in Chicago, introduced him to the talented young architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Martin and Wright quickly became friends. Although the company's president, John D. Larkin, was not initially impressed with Martin's choice, Martin convinced him to give Wright a chance. By then, Martin had already accumulated a substantial fortune and he also commissioned Wright to design a house for himself. Wright had complete freedom and a virtually unlimited budget. However, Martin's wife, Isabelle Reidpath Martin, was not particularly fond of the new house as it was poorly lit and light was essential for her as she was almost blind. Nevertheless, Darwin, Isabelle, and their children lived in the house for about twenty years. During this time, Martin became even wealthier, while Wright struggled financially. Martin became one of the main sponsors of Wright's studio, "Wright's Taliesin," and even lent him money. Wright eventually offered Martin a position as a business partner, but Martin had recently left the soap business and was not interested in a new job at the time.

Later Years and Legacy

Unfortunately, constant capital investments could not save Wright's company, as he entered a period of decline in his career as an architect. Martin decided to help his friend by commissioning him to build a new summer house, prioritizing Isabelle's wishes. The resulting structure became one of Wright's most successful creations during that period, as he maximized the potential of the picturesque location on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie. However, Martin's fortune was wiped out by the stock market crash. When Wright published his autobiography, Martin could not even afford six dollars to buy a copy. It is worth noting that the money Martin loaned to his friend, a total of about $70,000, was never repaid.

Darwin Martin passed away in 1935 after a series of strokes.