![]() ![]() For a tamer experience, sit in the creek bed and ride the water through two natural waterslides, or gaze at impressive Ohiopyle Falls.įall foliage is as colorfully vibrant as New England’s, but without the crowds, the cost and the traffic. The 20,500 acres that comprise Ohiopyle State Park attracts millions of visitors seeking some of the best whitewater rafting and kayaking in the eastern United States, framed by endlessly spectacular scenery. Laurel Highlands has the Wright stuff when it comes to architecture, but it is also a mecca for outdoor sports, abundant natural beauty and some rather eclectic attractions. “There is a sense of beauty, comfort, serenity and harmony in the house and all of its surroundings,” said Bernardine Hagan. The Hagans, who moved into the home in 1956, lived there for three decades. Kentuck Knob was one of his last designs. Hagan decided they, too, should own a Wright house on their 80 acres of mountaintop in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.Īt the time, Wright was 86 years old − and working on the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Beth Shalom Synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and on a dozen other home plans, yet despite his advanced age and busy schedule, the architect agreed. Treehouses, open April through October, can be reserved for tapas and wine events, mimosa brunches and a special five-course meal that follows a tour of the homes.įifteen minutes from Fallingwater awaits yet another Wright masterpiece, Kentuck Knob.Īfter many visits to their friends’ Fallingwater vacation home, Bernardine and I.N. ![]() The complex offers on-site dining at the Treetops restaurant, where a recent addition is a set of private treehouse dining “pods,” every one of them tucked within a forest setting. There is no television to infringe upon the quiet evenings listening to the sounds of nature while watching the stars above. Guests can tour the houses and stay overnight to fully immerse themselves in Wright’s vision for living. Another Wright Minnesota house, Birdwing, has been saved from demolition and is awaiting installation at the property. ![]() The home was originally built in Minnesota. In 2019, Wright’s Mantyla house joined the three others. In 2006, Wright’s Duncan house became part of the enclave after it was transported to the site from its original location in Illinois. The Balter and Blum residences, the first two homes on the 130 acres of farmland that comprise the original site, were built by Wright disciple Peter Berndtson, who studied with the architect at his Taliesin studio and worked with him on projects such as the Guggenheim Museum. Wright coined the term from United States of North America.Īt Polymath, visitors can tour four Usonian homes and dine the Wright way in a Wright-style treehouse before settling in for an overnight stay at two of the architect’s homes in the sprawling, wooded complex. Fortunately for architectural history, they acquiesced, thus sealing Fallingwater’s fame.Ī half-hour away from Falllingwater is Polymath Park, where visitors can explore Wright’s Usonian dream of architecture made affordable for the masses. The Kaufmanns were surprised when Wright recommended their new weekend house rise above a waterfall rather than face it. Designed in 1935 for the Kaufmanns, owners of Pittsburgh’s largest department store, Fallingwater sits in a storied setting of mature forests, massive sandstone boulders, a free-flowing stream, waterfalls and a forest understory where rhododendrons, laurel and Appalachian wildflowers thrive. The house is pushing 90, yet remains fresh, elegant and innovative. As if this was not enough for a vacation, this stunning area, unhurried, unspoiled and untouristy, beckons with myriad more attractions.įallingwater refuses to grow old. Nearby are additional Wright homes, which visitors can tour and even spend a night, or several, before capping their trip with dinner in Wright-inspired pods set atop a forest of ferns. However, an immersive tour of the home, its interiors and resplendent surroundings, is only part of the picture. The house, unquestionably the most famous private residence ever built, is bucket list material and a must-do when visiting the area. No other place on Earth offers the opportunity to experience the magic of the master, Frank Lloyd Wright, from so many angles.įallingwater, Wright’s jewel in the crown of residential creations, is the centerpiece. ![]() The world’s most immersive and sophisticated architectural experience can be found in the most unexpected of locations: rural, leafy and bucolic Laurel Highlands in southwestern Pennsylvania. ![]()
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