Ingalls Model

The Ingalls Model was designed by Nagle Hartray Architecture. This firm designed seven different house models (over 100 houses) at Prairie Crossing, as well as the Kennicott Building at the Charter School. Jim Nagle, Don McKay and Dirk Danker all worked on the Prairie Crossing designs. Don McKay is Design Director and Managing Partner.

This model is named after Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957). She was inspired to write her well-loved Little House on the Prairie books by memories of her father Charles Ingalls, who called her “half-pint” in real life just as he did in the stories she told. Her children’s books reflect the fact that the family moved often and suffered many hardships in the early years of prairie settlement. In 1954, the American Library Association created the Wilder Medal to honor writers who “made a distinguished, creative, sustained contribution to children’s books.”  Wilder was the Medal’s first recipient.

Research and information courtesy of Suzanne Mynard, Prairie Crossing resident