More rain fell on Chicago on September 13th, 2008 than on any other day in more than 130 years. That evening in Oak Park, some 170 architecture lovers braved the historic downpour for a gala at Unity Temple, one of 25 Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the near Western suburb.

In semi-formal attire, the attendees drank, ate and mingled with fellow contributors to the building’s restoration fund, the men eventually removing their jackets in the rain-steamed, unventilated interior. Later, all enjoyed the music of Chicago trumpeter Orbert Davis in the temple sanctuary, a bright, intricately designed space that Wright called his “little jewel box.”

The gala, an annual event held by the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, was a small pocket of calm amid the storm raging outside. And it was a success. A silent auction brought in $7,000, a pittance compared to the estimated $15-million sum needed to restore the aging building. But, still, good for one night.

Furthermore, the Temple, which had had its roof repaired in 2001, appeared to have weathered the storm. A few leaks notwithstanding, things could have been worse. In nearby Plano, Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House was under two feet of water after the Fox River jumped its banks. Third flood in 12 years. Donations needed urgently. The crisis had kept Farnsworth’s caretakers from attending the gala.

Yes, things could have been worse. And then the ceiling caved.

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