Nearby Architectural Jewel Invites Frequent Visits
January Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Hometown Pride”
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Fallingwater is Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece.
I first heard about Fallingwater in my university art appreciation course.
Edgar Kaufman, the scion of the Pittsburgh department store family, had persuaded his parents to engage Frank Lloyd Wright to build a getaway in a remote deciduous forest south of the city.
It was just a few miles from where I grew up, but very much a secluded private home. I was fascinated that a wealthy family could own and live in a renowned architectural masterpiece.
When Edgar Kaufman died, he left the property to a conservancy, and the public could now visit it during intimate guided tours.
I shall always remember the first time I walked into Fallingwater in the mid-1980s. The beauty and originality of Wright’s achievement took my breath away!
His creativity in the 1930s was stunning. The home was imminently livable some fifty years later.
Many of Wright’s ideas have been copied through the decades, for he was years ahead of his time. He used an open floor plan for the living area and created an outdoor/indoor vibe second to none.
The home sits over a waterfall in a beautiful natural setting. Residents could step down directly from the living room to take a swim. Multiple cantilevered decks provide space for sunbathing and enjoying the outdoors.
The park-like setting is gorgeous year-round. I have returned many times. It is especially beautiful in autumn.
