The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which is committed to preserving Wright’s work and educating the public about the architect’s contributions, expressed sadness over the death of a child at the Arizona Biltmore, which was influenced by Wright’s architectural style.
An 8-year-old boy was struck by a falling statue at the resort on November 27. He later died from his injuries.
“The news of the child’s death at the Biltmore is truly heartbreaking,” Henry Hendrix, the foundation’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and our sincere condolences go out to the family at this incredibly difficult time.”
Hendrix further said that the foundation shared in the sadness of the child’s death.
“Please know that we share in the sadness of this moment and hold all those affected close to our hearts as they cope with this unimaginable loss,” Hendrix said in the statement.
The image that struck the boy was a ‘sprite’, an image of a mythical creature that was meant to be a guardian over the land. According to the Arizona Biltmore website, the property has 19 sprite statues.
In his statement, Hendrix said the sprites at the Biltmore are replicas of designs from Wright’s Midway Gardens project in Chicago, which was built in 1914 and demolished in 1929. The statues at the Biltmore were created and donated to the Biltmore in the mid-1980s. in 1988. They are not considered historical artifacts and are not subjects of historic preservation.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wright Foundation says Biltmore sprite that struck child is not historical
