This is a corrected version of the story. The original version contained several errors.

Owning a Frank Lloyd Wright house is a bit like owning a vintage Alfa Romeo - visionary design, but a challenge to keep in mint condition.

Fran Cosentino and his wife, Jane Parker, are facing that challenge head on. The couple purchased the Wright-designed home at 16 East Boulevard from Scott and Kathryn McDonald last year, and they're in the process of a major restoration.

"My wife always dreamed of living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house," Cosentino says. "We drove by here occasionally, and then we saw that it came on the market."

Cosentino and Parker have restored 11 historic homes from New York to Florida. "But this one is the most challenging," he says.

Often referred to as the Boynton House, a reference to its original owner, it is the only example of Wright's work in Rochester. The Boynton House is also one of the legendary architect's Prairie House designs.

The Prairie House, with its trademark horizontal lines, low roof angles, and wide overhangs, was a radical departure from the dominant Victorian-era influences of the late 1800's. To some critics, it was revolutionary. And to others, the Prairie House seemed stark, brooding, and perhaps better suited for sunnier locations than Rochester.

Edward Boynton, a successful salesman for the CT Ham Manufacturing Company, paid Wright about $50,000 in 1908 to design and build the four-bedroom, three-bath home. At more than 100 years old, the property was in bad shape when Cosentino and Parker took possession of it last year.

The Landmark Society owns furniture that Wright designed for the house, and it had terms added to the property's deed regarding use, sale, and allowable physical changes.

The couple has relied on Wright's original plans to guide their restoration project. They've worked closely with the Landmark Society and the city's Building and Zoning Department and Preservation Board. And there have been more than a dozen craftsmen and building specialists working on the property since April.

"The number-one task was fixing the bones of the property," Cosentino says. "It's a beautiful house, but some major problems were ignored for a long time."

The house was suffering from an accumulation of serious roof-to-basement structural problems, some of which date back to the house's construction.

"The prior owners did the best they could trying to maintain everything," Cosentino says. "But it might have been too much. Owning a house like this isn't for everybody."

Holding a grayish-brown chunk of a support beam that looks more like an old egg carton instead of hard wood, Cosentino says termites and carpenter ant damage nearly engulfed the lower support frame of the house. The insects munched through wooden support beams from the basement all the way up to the building's second floor, leaving straw-like tunnels in their wake. The exterior overhangs and wide swathes of lathing under the building's stucco exterior were, in some places, feather-light and about as dense as a saltine cracker.

"You could see how the overhangs were drooping," Cosentino says. "So when you looked at the house from the street, it looked like it was frowning."

The sagging overhangs led to additional damage from water and ice buildup. More than 300 supporting cross beams had to be replaced in just the overhangs.

A prior owner removed some of the building's main support beams in the basement, probably to make the space more open and useable. But over time, that may have caused the structure to shift.

"All together, these things were causing the house to slowly collapse," Cosentino says.

As if that wasn't enough, the building's settlement was also the likely cause of persistent roof leaks. Prior owners attempted to repair the leaks several times.

"But they were probably calling roofers to do the repairs, and never addressed the structural causes of the leaks," Cosentino says. "So they just kept coming back, and each time doing more damage."

The roof was neither repairable nor consistent with Wright's plans. So the house has been completely re-roofed according to Wright's original specifications: stained, wedge-cut cedar shakes give the roof a subdued, natural look.

Wright pioneered what became known as the organic approach to architectural design, which stresses a seamless integration of manmade structures and the natural environment. This point is important in the restoration process, Cosentino says. Gutters and downspouts in a Wright house, for instance, are typically hidden to keep the exterior design clean of clutter. But it makes cleaning, repairing, or replacing the gutters a challenge. Buckets of rust and debris had to be removed from some of the downspouts, Cosentino says.

In addition to the new roof, the exterior of the house is being completely refinished in stucco using the more traditional multi-layered technique. The exterior will have a final scratch-coat surface more fitting of a 102-year-old home.

While reviewing Wright's drawings, Cosentino and Parker learned that some of the architect's plans for the property were never built or had been altered by prior owners. And their goal is to complete Wright's original vision.

For instance, the garage on the property is not Wright's design. And the way it is positioned makes it difficult for a large modern vehicle to enter or back out. Since the garage also has structural damage, the couple sought and received permission from the city to demolish it. Cosentino and Parker plan to build a new garage more in keeping with Wright's vision.

The pergola or covered walkway that Wright wanted built from the garage to the house was never constructed. So the couple plans to incorporate a pergola into the rear landscape. While the original landscape included numerous elm trees, a reflecting pool, tennis courts, and gardens, Cosentino says the new landscape that will be seen from East Boulevard will be minimalist to avoid obstructing views of the house.

The Boynton House was originally built on a much larger property. East Boulevard was barely completed and three of the lots Boynton purchased before the house was built were later sold. When that happened, the smaller lot size seemed to change how the house is perceived from the street.

The enclosed front porch accentuates the tighter fit. The house was built with an open porch according to Wright's plans, and the couple received permission from the city to return the porch to its original design and to remove the windows. It's a bittersweet decision for Cosentino.

"I love the idea of having a front porch, but I don't like losing all of that enclosed living space," he says. "That's a lot of space to give up. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about that."

As distinctive as a Wright Prairie House is on the exterior, there's no mistaking a Wright design once inside.

"I've seen almost all of Wright's buildings from this era and they're never dull," says local architectural historian and former University of Rochester professor Jean France. "He's the greatest architect of the 20th century and he would have been the first to tell you so."

Wright was intent on the destruction of "the box," as he called it, France says.

"In the average home back then you went from one box to another," she says. "He manipulated the ceiling heights so that you were aware you were moving from one room to another room. Little things like that were the rewards of living in a Wright home. You feel good inside a Wright home because the style never dates."

Other characteristics of Wright's design evident in the Boynton House are long hallways which connect one room to another, the hearth at the center of the home, recessed lighting, push-button light switches, and a liberal use of natural wood and glass.

Thousands of feet of oak trim around doors, windows, and floors have been removed and hand-stripped down to the natural grain. All of it is being hand-sanded, stained, and returned to the original locations.

Windows are especially important to a Wright design. The low exterior overhangs allow light in and reduce problems with glare. The technique essentially frames the windows' views to the landscape.

The Boynton House has 220 zinc came art glass windows, most of which swing open. The restoration to the art glass and window casing is under way, a time-consuming process that requires removing each glass panel. Due to water damage, some of the casings have warped, making restoration even more difficult.

The Boynton House kitchen is surprisingly modern looking: primarily the result of enduring design.

The living room has structural problems, Cosentino says. A 27-foot-long support beam located behind the ceiling and stretching the length of the room was compromised by the installation of recessed lighting.

The building plans required a strong support for this area of the house, since the second story rests on it. The 27-foot-long beam was supposed to be 12 inches by 8 inches in diameter. Large sections of the beam were carved out to allow for the light fixtures. The end result was a frighteningly inadequate 2 inch by 8 inch main support beam.

It all had to be corrected, Cosentino says. But it was a complicated process, since correcting structural problems often sets off a domino of new problems once the building is restored to its proper construction.

Who cut into the beam, whether Wright approved it, and how the house held up all these years are part of the mystery of the house, Cosentino says. And that's what makes restoring a home interesting, he says.

"Wright's work is really a wonder," France says. "But if this house had been left without a restoration going down to the bones at this time, we would never have seen the extent of the damage. A lot of it was covered over, and who knows what would have happened?"

The Boynton House is unique because it's privately owned, she says.

"Many of Wright's homes fell into disrepair and are either being restored or the restoration has been completed," France says. "But they are often held by nonprofits that convert them into house museums that are open to the public."

The Martin House in Buffalo and Graycliff south of Buffalo are prime examples, and millions of dollars have been raised to restore the properties.

Cosentino won't say how much the restoration is costing the couple, but he jokes about it.

"Let's just say the house's value will probably catch up to the costs sometime in the next 100 years," he says. "But it's the kind of expenditure that you make for the community as much as for yourself. This house is a Rochester treasure. I don't think there's any other way of describing it."