Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
09/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/10/2026 10:12
Dana-Thomas House to celebrate Susan Lawrence Dana's legacy with inaugural Lego brick competition
SPRINGFIELD -
The Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site in Springfield will celebrate the Oct. 13 birthday of Susan Lawrence Dana with the first-ever Susan Lawrence Dana Lego Brick Building Competition.
The Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site in Springfield will celebrate the Oct. 13 birthday of Susan Lawrence Dana with the first-ever Susan Lawrence Dana Lego Brick Building Competition.
The juried competition will honor Dana's legacy as an advocate for the arts, design and craftsmanship while encouraging creativity among builders of all ages. Selected entries will be displayed inside the historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Dana-Thomas House.
Dana, who was born Oct. 13, 1862, commissioned the home and took a strong interest in its design and construction. She hosted the first party at the home for the workers who built it and their families, allowing children to see their fathers' work. Dana also hosted art and design classes and sponsored student competitions in woodworking and other crafts.
"Although Frank Lloyd Wright is known around the world, we must never lose sight of the woman who commissioned the famous mansion, Susan Lawrence Dana," said IDNR Director Jim Montgomery. "We encourage individuals of all ages to take this opportunity to recognize Dana's contributions on behalf of women and children to create something fun and innovative, just as she would have wanted."
The competition will feature three categories: architecture, botanicals and freeform. Original creations are strongly encouraged. Entries will be judged in four age groups: ages 5-8, 9-12, 13-17, 18 and older. Participants must submit their application online by Oct. 13. A panel of judges will review photographs of submitted creations and select entries for exhibition. Winners will be announced on Oct. 31. Selected creations will be displayed Nov. 1-15 throughout the Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site.
Those who wish to support the competition can donate Lego bricks to the Dana-Thomas House Foundation through Oct. 1. Donations will be distributed to youth as part of a partnership with Compass for Kids. Lego brick donations may be dropped off from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Dana-Thomas House Foundation office, 302 E. Lawrence Ave. in Springfield.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is not affiliated with the Lego Group and this event is not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by the Lego Group. For more information about the competition, email [email protected].
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency published this content on September 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 10, 2026 at 16:12 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]