Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob
Bus Tour to Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed Homes in Pennsylvania
Thursday, May 19, 2005
8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Depart from and return to Washington Plaza
10 Thomas Circle, NW
Washington, DC
Fallingwater
Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Fallingwater is recognized as one of Frank Lloyd
Wright’s most acclaimed works and a supreme example
of his concept of organic architecture, which
promotes harmony between man and nature through
design so well integrated with its site that buildings,
furnishings, and surroundings become part of a uni-
fied, interrelated composition.
Designed in 1935 for the Edgar J. Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh, Wright responded to the family’s love for a waterfall on Bear Run, a rushing mountain stream. Mimicking a natural pattern established by its rock ledges, Wright placed the house over the falls in a series of cantilevered concrete “trays,” anchored to masonry walls made of the same Pottsville sandstone as the rock ledges. The house rises over 30’ above the falls and almost as much floor space is taken up by outdoor terraces as indoor rooms.
Construction began in 1936, and ended with the completion of the guest house in 1939. The Kaufmann family used Fallingwater in all seasons as a weekend or vacation home until the 1950’s, when their son inherited it. Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., by then a curator at the Museum of Modern Art, continued to use Fallingwater until he entrusted it to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. Fallingwater is the only Wright house open to the public with its setting, original furnishings, and artwork intact.
Kentuck Knob
Chalk Hill, Pennsylvania
Kentuck Knob is an example of a high-end Usonian
home, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the last decade
of his career. The construction of native sandstone,
tidewater cypress, and copper blends naturally
with its surroundings in true Wrightian harmony. A
sculpture garden with over 35 major works enhances
the visitor’s experience.
In 1953, Mr. and Mrs. I.N. Hagan purchased about 80 acres in the mountains above Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where their families had lived for generations. They knew the Kaufman family, owners of nearby Fallingwater, and had visited the house many times. Wright was 86 years old and at work on the Guggenheim Museum, the Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and about 13 residential dwellings. He situated Kentuck Knob near the 2,050- foot summit. The Hagans lived at Kentuck Knob almost 30 years and in 1986 sold the property to Lord Peter Palumbo of London, England. He opened the house and grounds to public tours in 1996.
Order Tickets
Weekend Delegates: $120
Members: $120 (ADSW members and Latrobe Chapter, SAH members)
Non-Members: $150
Ticket sales for this event have closed.
Fee includes travel by bus, entry fees, and a box dinner. Lunch is available for purchase at the Fallingwater Cafe. Travel time is about four hours each way.
Join ADSW and pay the discounted member's price for your tickets. ADSW members enjoy many benefits. Membership costs $35 for singles or $50 for couples.
For More Information
For more information, call ADSW at 202-298-1100 or send email to Art Deco Weekend coordinators Linda Lyons (llyons@adsw.org) or Jim Linz (jlinz@adsw.org).
Comments
Created February 11, 2005; Modified Wednesday, May 18, 2005.