Frank Lloyd Wright in the Laurel Highlands

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Polymath Park is a 130-acre woodland resort and collection of four historic houses that exemplify the architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Two of the homes were designed by Wright himself and later relocated to the property. Two others were designed by Peter Berndtson, a Wright apprentice, and are original to the property. All four homes offer tours and overnight stays. A restaurant, TreeTops, is also on site. The park is overseen by the nonprofit Usonian Preservation, Inc. Located within 30 miles of Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, Polymath Park is actively engaged with preserving the history and architectural visions of Frank Lloyd Wright and his students.

2. Kentuck Knob - A Frank Lloyd Wright Home

Kentuck Knob is a home nestled in the mountain hill lands of Western Pennsylvania that was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the brilliant mind behind Fallingwater and a multitude of other homes and buildings. The home is a 1-story, “hexagonal module” known as “usonian, meaning affordable for the average American” (“The House”). Described as “Both dramatic and serene, the house, situated just below the crest of the hill, appears almost part of the mountain itself and stands 2,050 feet above sea level” (“The House”). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000. The exterior is made of native sandstone and tidewater red cypress. The interior has “An open floor plan, cantilevered overhangs, and great expanses of glass effortlessly integrate the inside with the outside. Stretching to the east, just beyond the back terrace, is a breathtaking panorama of the Youghiogheny River Gorge and the beautiful Laurel Highlands mountains that surround it” (“The House”).

3. Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright House)

The Kaufmann Residence, more famously known as Fallingwater, is a house located in Fayette County, PA. The house was designed, in 1936, by world renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright who was commissioned by Edgar Kaufmann Sr. Kaufmann was a wealthy businessman who was the owner and founder of Kaufmann Department stores in Pennsylvania. The house, with its sleek horizontal and vertical lines, was completed in 1939. It was later (1963) donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy by Edgar Kaufman Jr. The Conservancy still owns and operates the home.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Frank Lloyd Wright in the Laurel Highlands

Created by Kathleen Thompson on September 16th 2020, 10:18:00 am.

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There are four Wright designed homes within a short driving distance of each other, and all are open for the public. Fallingwater, built in the 1930s, is one of Wright's most famous structures and exemplifies his concept of Organic Architecture. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019. Kentuck Knob was built in the 1950s for the Hagan family with a design that combined Wright's Usonian and organic architecture elements. The two homes at Polymath Park are examples of Wright's catalog Usonian homes and were carefully moved and reconstructed at their current location.

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Frank Lloyd Wright in the Laurel Highlands

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