![]() Since the retrofit, there has been no notable movement of the house or its foundation. A major structural renovation was performed during the 90s to address sagging (one of the terraces had dropped 7.5 inches). To Wright's credit, the house has held up well over its 75 years. Unbeknownst to Wright, the Kaufmanns doubled the amount of specified structural steel (this was Pittsburgh, after all). ![]() Wright's own engineers rejected his designs as unworkable, but Wright directed the house be built anyway. The concept called for a tall central core anchored on the bedrock of the stream's ledge, with the entirety of the house and its large, concrete terraces perilously cantilevered outward. Set along a rocky canyon adjacent to a beautiful waterfall, Kaufmann originally envisioned a house that would sit across from the water as its featured view.Īfter touring the property, Wright decided that rather than build a house facing the waterfall, he would build one atop it. As avid an outdoorsman, Edgar Kaufmann wanted a location and house that would truly connect with nature. The Kauffman family purchased 1,500 acres of land adjacent to a 5,000 acre nature preserve as the site for a a year-round weekend retreat and country home. He introduced his parents to the architect in the 1930s, and in addition to their collaboration on Fallingwater, enjoyed a long and close relationship. had an interest in architecture and for a time studied at Wright's studio Taliesen. Although he most known for his Prairie Homes and the Arts & Crafts style, Wright was an innovator in modern designs that were simple, minimal, integral into their environment and expensive to maintain.Įdgar Kauffman, Jr. During his lengthy and prolific career, he was commissioned for more than 1,000 designs resulting in over 500 completed works, among them the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, the headquarters of the SC Johnson Wax Company in Racine, Wisconsin, The Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, completed in 1959, months prior to Wright's death at age 91. Today the WPC operates tours of the home, and has a educational center, gift shop and cafe as part of its Visitor Center on the property.įrank Lloyd Wright is easily the most renowned architect of the United States. The house was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The WPC focuses on preserving the natural heritage of Western Pennsylvania, and celebrates this house for its focus on its natural surroundings. The Fallingwater House was owned by the Kaufmann family from the time it was built until it was gifted by the Kaufmann's son to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) in 1963. If you have small children, find a sitter as you have to be at least 9 to go on the tour. ![]() I'm not sure how they fill the 2-hour tour as ours was pretty extensive, but it appeared that most were taking it for the extended photography permissions, based on my observation of their rather expensive looking equipment. ![]() For $65 you can take the in-depth tour, which lasts 2 hours and permits indoor photography. Photography is not permitted during the tour, and no photos of the home's interior are allowed. Tickets are $22 for the regular tour, which lasts about an hour and takes you in and around the home. The drive to Mill Run is about an hour and 45 minutes on windy, hilly roads so be sure to allow yourself ample time. Tickets can and should be purchased in advance as all the tours for that Sunday were sold out. We had a great time among over 325 guests, and despite my bow tie I was never asked to get someone a beverage or clear a plate.ĭespite our all day wedding festivities, we were up at 7:30AM on Sunday for the drive to Mill Run, Pennsylvania for our 11AM tour of Fallingwater. The dancing, singing, wardrobes, food, drinks and celebratory buzz was outstanding. If you've never been to a Hindu wedding, seek one out (no pun intended). The wedding started around 1PM and we got back to our room around 1AM the next day. Luckily for us, the wedding was in the hotel where we were staying so no further travel would be necessary. Friday traffic across New Jersey and most of Pennsylvania was pretty heavy, and although we only stopped briefly at Wendy's (which was not nearly as good as we remembered), it took us about 7.5 hours to make the trip. The drive to Pittsburgh is about 400 miles from New York City, which is on the outer limits of our road trip appetite, but since the flights we're going for well over $500 we opted to drive.
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