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March 4th, 2016
Do you need a DAYCATION? Well, I have the place for you. You can travel to “Fallingwater,” located on Route 381, in Mill Run, Penn., and tour the home that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the family of Pittsburgh department store owner, Edgar J. Kaufmann, Sr. There are several amazing things about the home that was designed in 1935 and built in 1937. The Kaufmanns ORIGINALLY requested Mr. Wright build the home to face the waterfall on the property. But Wright went the extra mile and built the home to rise above the waterfall - thus the name “FALLINGWATER.” The Kaufmann Family used Fallingwater as their weekend home from 1937 thru 1963. In 1963, Edgar J. Kaufmann, Jr. entrusted the contents and grounds to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. This home is the only major Frank Lloyd Wright work to come into the public domain with its setting, original furnishings and artwork intact. Fallingwater was opened to the public in 1964.
The concept that a home can be built over a waterfall and survive is quite remarkable. Granted, Mr. Wright, of course, thought about the dampness and compensated for it. The home was constructed of sandstone quarried on the property and was built by local craftsmen. The stone serves to separate reinforced concrete “trays” dramatically cantilevered over the stream. A guest and service wing was added in 1939 and it is located behind Fallingwater.
You can visit www.fallingwater.org for additional details or you can call 724-329-8501 to schedule a visit. The visit usually takes at least two hours on site. Expect considerable walking because there are more than 100 steps. If you require special assistance, just call ahead. Good advice is to purchase your tickets at least two weeks in advance. There is plenty of parking and then a short walk to the holding area. In this area, there is a museum store with merchandise related to art, nature and architecture and a café with seasonal soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods. There are bathroom facilities as well.
The Winter Hours are: the first two weekends in March, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. --weather permitting. They are even open on Easter Sunday from 1 – 4 p.m. The days and hours of operation are Mid-March through Thanksgiving weekend (from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.), but they are closed on Wednesdays. Fallingwater is closed in January and February, and on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Fallingwater is located close to Ohio Pyle as well, which includes restaurants, shops and the Youghiogheny River.
Have fun on your DAYCATION!!!
