Frank Lloyd Wright house in Fort Wayne keeps historic title

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - The owner of a Fort Wayne home designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright has lost in his attempt to have its historic designation removed.

The City Council voted 6-3 Tuesday to reject Richard Herber's request to remove the local historic designation from the property known as the John and Dorothy Haynes House.

Herber bought the home in 2004 and sought the historic designation in 2008. But he sought to have the designation removed in 2010 and again this year, saying it hurt the home's value and made it more difficult to sell. The city must approve any exterior changes to properties in local historic districts.

The Historic Preservation Commission voted in February against removing the historic designation.

The home built in the 1950s is Allen County's only Wright-designed house.