Tourist First

Travel notes and advice from around the world. Above, the daily flight from Managua at the San Carlos, Nicaragua, airstrip.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Pennsylvania: Two Houses by Frank Lloyd Wright



About an hour and a half southeast of Pittsburgh are two Frank Lloyd Wright houses. One, of course, is the iconic Fallingwater, Wright's 1930s masterpiece. It's open to the public. Unfortunately, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy forbids Internet posting of photos, though visitors are allowed to take exterior photos for their own non-published use. Fortunately, there are zillions of photos of this amazing house, including many on the organization's Fallingwater web site. Click here for that site.
The other Wright house, Kentuck Knob, is just a few minutes away.
The top photo is of an art installation, celebrating the fall of the Iron Curtain, that is found in an art-filled meadow on the grounds. The other photo shows one end of the house, with a cantilevered roof sheltering a terrace. The holes allow wind to pass through the roof without ripping it off.
One of the last houses Wright designed, Kentuck Knob was built for I.N. and Bernardine Hagen, Pennsylvania ice cream makers, who lived there from 1956 to 1986. The second owners, Peter and Hayat Polumbo of Britain, have opened the house to the public. More information is at KentuckKnob.com.
The two houses can be visited in a day trip out of Pittsburgh. If you're looking for lunch or perhaps an overnight stay in the Allegheny Mountains, consider the Summit Inn Resort, a rambling old structure with loads of atmosphere, an indoor pool, a huge outdoor pool , a nine-hole golf course and 50-mile views.