Sunday
Peggy Long's daughter, Jody, was in Pittsburgh for the Steelers game this afternoon but the connection was too tight to get together. I had a reservation to see the Frank Lloyd Wright Falling Water home in Mill Run at noon several hours away. I would not be a good jet setter, my scheduling sucks.
SJ Giants mgr Mark, goes to Pamela's for breakfast when in town for a game. I went by but the line was around the block so skipped it. Next time, Mark.
The drive to Mill Run is thru pretty, hilly Pennsylvania countryside and this Sunday morning there was little traffic.
A quarter mile serene drive leads into the area.
This very famous home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufmann family who owned an upscale department store in Pittsburgh which is now part of the Macy's chain.
The Kaufmanns had owned the property known as Bear Run for many years and used it as a camping retreat for their employees. But with the Depression in the 1930s the employees stopped coming because they couldn't afford the $1 train fare from Pittsburgh.
So the Kaufmanns decided to build a summer place for themselves and in the late 1930s hired the architect their son was interning with, Frank Lloyd Wright. They wanted a home where they would have a view of the two beautiful waterfalls in the stream that came thru the property.
The original building budget was $30K but ended up being $150K mostly due to all the engineering innovations needed for this cantilevered masterpiece to hang out over the water.
The Kaufmanns OKd the new budget.
The result was a very contemporary home that sits right over the water as if it is hanging in mid air.
They gave up the view because they loved the design of the home. In the living room there is a gate leading to steps where they were able to go down and sit and put their feet in the water.
We were not permitted to take photos in the home but the following interior shots were on the wall in the museum and photographed very well, don't you think?
Living room with a large red pot that swings over the fireplace to be heated for parties. The guide thought perhaps cider.
Dining room.
Under the cabinet on the left are two additional tables that can be added to the existing dining room table for large parties.
All natural woods and stone, so different from the fussy Victorian styles of the day.
Her bedroom.
All the rooms in the home open out thru walls of glass to large terraces overlooking the stream and woods. Lovely.
The Kaufmanns came here summers until they passed away in the 1950s.
Their son inherited Falling Water and kept it until 1963 when he entrusted the home and hundreds of acres of the pristine countryside to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
In 1980 a Visitor Center was built using the same natural materials and contemporary design. Frank would have approved. It contains a museum, gift shop and cafe.
It still bothers me that the Kaufmanns gave up their view of the falls because Frank wanted to put the home over the falls. Now to see the falls they must go to a clearing across the creek. I would have held out for the view.
This very famous home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufmann family who owned an upscale department store in Pittsburgh which is now part of the Macy's chain.
The Kaufmanns had owned the property known as Bear Run for many years and used it as a camping retreat for their employees. But with the Depression in the 1930s the employees stopped coming because they couldn't afford the $1 train fare from Pittsburgh.
So the Kaufmanns decided to build a summer place for themselves and in the late 1930s hired the architect their son was interning with, Frank Lloyd Wright. They wanted a home where they would have a view of the two beautiful waterfalls in the stream that came thru the property.
The original building budget was $30K but ended up being $150K mostly due to all the engineering innovations needed for this cantilevered masterpiece to hang out over the water.
The Kaufmanns OKd the new budget.
The result was a very contemporary home that sits right over the water as if it is hanging in mid air.
They gave up the view because they loved the design of the home. In the living room there is a gate leading to steps where they were able to go down and sit and put their feet in the water.
We were not permitted to take photos in the home but the following interior shots were on the wall in the museum and photographed very well, don't you think?
Living room with a large red pot that swings over the fireplace to be heated for parties. The guide thought perhaps cider.
Under the cabinet on the left are two additional tables that can be added to the existing dining room table for large parties.
All natural woods and stone, so different from the fussy Victorian styles of the day.
Her bedroom.
All the rooms in the home open out thru walls of glass to large terraces overlooking the stream and woods. Lovely.
The Kaufmanns came here summers until they passed away in the 1950s.
Their son inherited Falling Water and kept it until 1963 when he entrusted the home and hundreds of acres of the pristine countryside to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
In 1980 a Visitor Center was built using the same natural materials and contemporary design. Frank would have approved. It contains a museum, gift shop and cafe.
It still bothers me that the Kaufmanns gave up their view of the falls because Frank wanted to put the home over the falls. Now to see the falls they must go to a clearing across the creek. I would have held out for the view.
Another busy and interesting day, this time at a "country house!" What's next??
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