Discover Four Frank Lloyd Wright Homes in Laurel Highlands

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Discover four Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania, where nature and design create stunning organic architecture experiences.

Laurel Highlands is one of Pennsylvania’s hidden gems, offering numerous and diverse activities from the historical bent of the French and Indian War to the moving 9/11 Memorial, the year-round resort of Seven Springs, and the architectural wonders of Frank Lloyd Wright. To find four outstanding representations of Wright’s work in proximity to one another is a feat that merits a visit just on its own.  As a real estate broker with a background in art, I marvel at the ability to glimpse the different structures that make up Wright’s immense portfolio of work, with Fallingwater being the epitome of American Architecture.

A Passion for Modern Architecture

Living in Los Angeles, I have seen mid-century architectural homes designed by Richard Neutra, A. Quincy Jones, and Rudolph Shindler. I toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s Holly Hock House. In my early years of real estate, I previewed Wright’s Sturges House in Brentwood while checking out broker’s opens.

Nearby Palm Springs offers a wide range of mid-century homes, and it is fun to tour them.

My fascination with architectural homes has always been a passion since I learned about Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, and Louis Sullivan in art history classes. These men and Frank Lloyd Wright were pioneers of modern architecture. Sullivan coined the phrase that many mid-century architects used: form follows function. Le Corbusier is the father of functionalism Architecture.

Over the years, as I explored the United States as a travel writer, the list of Frank Lloyd Wright homes I viewed has grown. In Arizona, I have been to Taliesin West and the Arizona Biltmore.  The latter is considered a collaboration between Wright and Albert Chas McArthur, a former draftsman in Wright’s Oak Park Studio. In Springfield, Illinois, I had the opportunity to visit the Dana Thomas House.  Therefore, it was a no-brainer when the opportunity availed itself to view four Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Laurel Highlands.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright is best known for his organic architecture, a philosophy encompassing the theme that his designs are created in harmony with humanity and the environment. This concept of architecture is best seen at Fallingwater.

Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered the Prairie School Movement, which reflects the prairie landscape of flat, treeless expanses. These structures feature horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with overhanging eaves, and windows grouped in horizontal bands.

Finally, Frank Lloyd Wright developed the concept of the Usonian home. This style of home catered to middle-income families. The homes showcase a single-story dwelling with a carport. They are defined by native materials: flat roofs and cantilevered overhangs for natural cooling, natural lighting with clerestory windows, and radiant floor heating. This concept is how Wright envisioned urban planning for cities.

Fallingwater

Fallingwater is the embodiment of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. Located in the Mill Run section of Stewart Township, Pennsylvania, this house museum is built over a waterfall on the Bear Run stream. Utilizing the natural surroundings of the stream and boulders around the area, Fallingwater is considered one of the world’s architectural wonders. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1974, named the “Commonwealth Treasure” in 2000, deemed eligible for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008, and in 2019 added to the World Heritage List. If there is one Frank Lloyd Wright home you should visit, it should be Fallingwater above all others.

Edgar and Liliane Kaufman hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design a weekend retreat. The house was completed in 1937, and the guest wing was added in 1939. In 1963, Kaufman’s son deeded the home to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which turned it into a museum.

The three-story structure consists of cantilevered terraces. The house is made of concrete, steel, glass, and stone from nearby quarries. The furnishings include many built-ins and add to the ambiance. The outdoor views from the terraces and balconies are magnificent at any time of the year. The sound of the waterfall enhances the viewer’s experience. The attention to detail is part of the wonderment.

Kentuck Knob

Kentuck Knob is another excellent example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s expression of organic architecture. The home, built of sandstone and red cypress, blends into the landscape. The house sits just below the crest of a hill, making it a part of the hill, giving the impression that the house and the hill co-exist in nature. Intricate details in the overhangs and windows, especially the hexagons and parallelograms, set it apart from other Wright homes. From Kentuck Knob, visitors can get views of the Youghiogheny River Gorge and Laurel Highlands.

Ice cream magnates I.N. and Bernardine Hagan purchased land in Chalk Hill.  As friends of the Kaufmans, owners of Fallingwater, they became enamored with Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. Kentuck Knob was completed in 1956 and is a unique example of the Usonian house.

Lord and Lady Palumbo have an affinity for mid-century architects such as Mies Van Der Rohe and Le Corbusier, owning houses built by both. They fell in love with Fallingwater.  When they heard Kentuck Knob was for sale, they purchased it with the intent to preserve the legacy of this architectural gem.

Polymath

Polymath describes a person with a wide range of knowledge. Situated on 130 acres in Westmoreland County, this unique property offers accommodations, tours, and dining experiences based on Frank Lloyd Wright, a man I consider a polymath. You can visit or stay in two Wright homes, Duncan House or Lindholm “Mäntylä” House. In addition, Polymath features two other homes designed by Peter Berndtson, an apprentice to Wright. These homes are the Balter and Blum houses.

Polymath History

In the 1960s, the Balter and Blum families hired Peter Berndtson to design two summer mountain retreat homes. Together, they purchased 130 acres of farmland in Westmoreland County with views of the Chestnut Ridge Mountains. Peter’s vision was a Usonian-styled home built on 5-acre lots. The houses were named Tree Tops and Mountain Circles.  The Balter home was finished in 1963, and the Blum home in 1965. The families frequented these summer homes for approximately three decades.

In 2000, Tom Papinchak and his wife Heather purchased a modern-style house near the Balter and Blum properties as a retreat. After 8 years of living in the house, they turned their home into the TreeTops Restaurant.

They purchased the 130 acres, including the Balter and Blum homes, in 2003, intending to preserve the property and the homes. In 2006, an opportunity to relocate the Duncan House from Lisle, IL, to Polymath availed itself. In 2007, the house opened to the public.

Soon after that, the FLW Building Conservancy approved relocating and preserving the Lindholm Mäntylä home from Cloquet, MN, to Polymath. 

Polymath will soon expand to include Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr’s Birdwing design.

TreeTops Restaurant at Polymath

While visiting Polymath, you must include dining at the TreeTops Restaurant. The restaurant’s culinary experience and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture add a nice dimension to the day. Request seating in a pod set apart from the main restaurant.

TreeTops takes Frank Lloyd Wright’s theme of organic architecture and applies it to a culinary experience. Each treehouse pod allows you to dine harmoniously with humanity, your friends and family, and nature’s environment. We enjoyed a three-course meal, but a five-course option is also available.

Duncan and Mäntylä Homes

Both homes showcase Frank Lloyd Wright’s concept of Usonian houses. The 1957 Duncan home is more simplistic but includes characteristics of the Usonian homes, such as red tile flooring, cantilevered overhangs, and a carport. It seemed like the forerunner to the 1950s California Ranch home without a garage.

I found the Mäntylä home, built in 1952-1953, more interesting. The design and landscape came together, uniting the Usonian concept of living within one’s natural surroundings. Mäntylä means house among the pines. What struck me the most were the different roof lines, including one that projects out like a ship’s bow. It is reminiscent of iconic commercial buildings, especially restaurants, built in the 1950s. We had one in Westwood Village called Ships.

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A Day of Architectural Splendor

My visit to Laurel Highlands left me in awe because I never expected to walk away with a true understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright’s impact and influence on modern-day architecture. The artistic beauty balanced by natural surroundings engulfed me, especially seeing the differences in each home. From Fallingwater’s bold impact to Duncan House’s simplicity, each makes an individual statement about organic architecture.

All these homes offer various tours. We invite you to explore Wander With Wonder for more of our favorite architectural treasures.

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