Frank Lloyd Wright For the Weekend
Do you chase cool design? I grew up a stone’s throw away from Fallingwater and saw it first when I was seven years old. Back then, I thought someone had made a swinging 70s house. It was cool, but I didn’t quite get the big deal at the time, and that it in fact very much pre-dated the 70s. I recently spent the weekend chasing a bit more of the Frank Lloyd Wright mystique in Western Pennsylvania.
Fallingwater is like a dream house for me. The amount of building code violations that make this property special (which there is no way you could replicate) just boggles my creative mind. I want a house with steps down into a stream! The study on the top floor with that view and a pool that is filled with fresh water. A house out in the forest that smells of evergreen, that is minimalist, but also warm and feels like home.
Many of you may have toured Fallingwater on a trip to Seven Springs or Nemacolin.
Kentuck Knob is the lesser-known house just a few miles away. While smaller and not quite the same level of coolness of a home built on top of a waterfall, the big open living space, interesting design quirk of the dining room tables, beautiful wood space, and tight hallways make that another fun stop on a design weekend.
But where is one to stay during their weekend of minimalist design? Well either in a Frank Lloyd Wright House or in one by his apprentices. Yep, that is actually possible! Polymath Park in Pennsylvania has two Frank Lloyd Wright Houses and two from his apprentice, Peter Berndtson, that you can stay in. (Word to the wise: in the summer, one has AC built in.)
The two Frank Lloyd Wright Houses were carefully moved and rebuilt by a master builder piece by piece and the story of how it all came to be is pretty interesting. Of the two Wright homes one was a custom design for a family and one was meant to be a Usonian home that would form a template of homes to be built. But they are all incredibly neat to see and to be able to stay in and feel what it would be like to live in one of his properties!
They are a bit out in the country, so you might want to travel for dinner, as there is no cooking in the house. They also have refrigerators and microwaves, so you could also bring cold items and have a cheese and charcuterie platter, cold salads, or something easily reheated. (You can eat in the home just not cook.) They do have a restaurant on sight if you prefer not to go far.
If you don’t mind traveling a little, on summer weekends, I love The River’s Edge in Confluence. They have odd hours so make sure you call, but the restaurant sits on the bank of the river and has a great view. You could also pop down to Nemacolin and eat there, maybe book a spa appointment, too. If you are touring the other Wright homes, you will be in Ohiopyle and there are some small cafes and restaurants located there. And if you like a dive bar, Rodney Corner right by Polymath Park is your spot! As the sign says, beer is currently cheaper than gas.
All in all, it’s a really cool experience and although I was happy to see the other homes as an adult, seeing these new buildings and actually staying there, was just something else!
See Also: A Birthday of Significance: A Napa Itinerary for the Food and Wine Lover
