pDespite the numerous studies of Frank Lloyd Wright s life and architecture, little has been published about his life in relation to the communities that dominated his life. Wright, a fervent believer in individualism and an ardent advocate of democracy, worked in communities throughout his career of more than six decades. These communities, which he led with unquestioned authority, made possible his extraordinary productivity. They also helped sustain his genius, provided him with crucial social outlets, and made it possible for him to remain a creative force outside the mainstream of American architecture until his death at age 91. pAlmost immediately after arriving in Chicago in 1887, Wright began working in the company of architects and draftsmen, most notably Joseph Lyman Silsbee, Dankmar Adler, and Louis Sullivan. In 1893 he opened his own practice in downtown Chicago and formed relationships with communities of young architects and draftsmen there. Five years later Wright moved