When you think architecture, you might not think of Pennsylvania but the Laurel Highlands region showcases two stunning examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s works.
Before we dive into taking a trip to see both Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, I offer you a quick primer on Frank Lloyd Wright and why his designs are so sought after, by homebuyers and architecture aficionados, and people who just like really cool houses.
About Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect with midwestern roots. He was born in 1867 in Wisconsin and spent most of his upbringing there, eventually studying civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin.
He got his start in design when he moved to Chicago where there was a building boom after the Great Fire of 1871. While employed by a firm there, he began to design side projects, mainly residential homes.
Prairie style houses were part of his initial design style in Chicago. These houses, which showcased a distinctly American style influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement, were “one-story projections, an open floor plan, low-pitched roofs with broad, overhanging eaves, strong horizontal lines, ribbons of windows (often casements), a prominent central chimney, built-in stylized cabinetry, and a wide use of natural materials—especially stone and wood.”
But ultimately, Wright became know for what would be called “Usonian houses” – his response to the “transformation of domestic life that occurred in the early 20th century when servants had become less prominent or completely absent from most American households. By developing homes with progressively more open plans, Wright allotted the woman of the house a “workspace”, as he often called the kitchen, where she could keep track of and be available for the children and/or guests in the dining room.”
He became a sought after architect known for innovative design and interested in creating a distinctive American style, geometric, open floor plan.
It was in 1908 that he was commissioned to build Meyer May House in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the Meyer S. May, president of May’s clothing stores was commissioned in 1908 by Meyer S. May, president of May’s clothing store.
It was this relationship that ultimately led to Wright’s foray into Pennsylvania.
Why Pennsylvania?
With Wright’s midwestern roots and experience in custom homes, he became tapped to create a weekend home for Liliane and Edgar J. Kaufmann, the owner of Kaufmann’s Department Store headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This ultimately became Fallingwater, one of his most well known homes located 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in the Laurel Highlands region.
Just four miles away, I.N. Hagan and his wife, owners of Hagan Ice Cream and friends of the Kaufmanns, purchased 70 hilltop acres and asked Frank Lloyd Wright, then 86 years old, to design a deluxe Usonian home for them.
When visiting Laurel Highlands, it’s easy to take in two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s works of art in one visit.
Visiting Fallingwater
The first thing to remember is that Fallingwater is not just a house – it’s a work of art. And therefore, it has all the protections of artwork.
It’s privately owned and does require an admission fee but you can choose what type of access you want. If it’s your first visit, you will probably want the Guided Architectural Tour. This gives you full access to the grounds (which are gorgeous) and a tour of the house interior, including many original furnishings.
Because it’s the most popular tour and they are limiting visitors, these tours book quickly. So even if it’s your first trip and you really have your heart set on visiting, don’t despair! The Self-Guided Exterior Experience allows you full access to the grounds AND all of the exterior. You can walk onto the balconies and peek in the windows. You just can’t enter the house.
This home was completed in 1937 on the grounds of an employee retreat camp. It was intended to be a getaway home for the Kaufmanns and their son. It’s most known for being constructed over a 30 foot waterfall but continues to inspire design lovers with its cantilevered balconies and terraces.
Much of the grounds are accessible by wheelchair 
Additional falls can be seen upstream from the house 
Patios and balconies can be accessed with the grounds tour. The carport has been turned into offices 
The swimming pool is not fit for swimming but still looks beautiful From inside the home, you can actually walk down to the falls (my favorite part! Or you can view the falls from an overlook off of the main living area.
A few things you should know before you go:
- Reservations are required for all visits
- Children under 6 are not allowed on the Guided Architectural Tour
- You are not allowed to take photos inside the house, even for personal use
- The tours require a fair amount of walking, primarily on gravel paths, which may not be suitable for all wheelchairs
- The interior tour does require climbing stairs
- A cafe, gift shop, and bathrooms are all available on site
Visting Kentuck Knob
Like Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob is also considered a work of art and is privately owned. The house was completed in 1956 and the Hagans enjoyed the home for 30 years until they sold it in 1986 to Lord Palumbo of England. In 1996, he opened the home for tours.
Much like Fallingwater, Wright embraced the cantilever as he designed this one story Usonian home to embrace the landscape. There’s no waterfall but there is a stunning view of the forest from atop this mountain area.
The Guided House Tour starts in the gift shop area near the entrance (worth a look around and stop by for some Hagan ice cream!). When your tour is ready, you’ll take a shuttle to the top of the hill for a 40 minute guided tour, starting with Wrights classic carport out front (he believed garages were a place for clutter).
The interior, especially the kitchen, is an homage to mid-century style and reflects Wright’s inspiration of hexagons and triangles for the home.
Carports were always used instead of garages. Beautiful carvings line the exterior The hexagon cutouts create amazing lights and shawdows that vary with the position of the sun Kentuck Knob was built into the side of the hill.
Once you’ve finished the tour, you’re free to roam the grounds and take the shuttle back to the gift shop at your leisure. Or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, take the 20 minutes downhill walk back through the sculpture garden on the Woodland Walking Trail.
A few things you should know before you go:
- Kentuck Knob is NOT a misprint. The name came from an early settler who owned the land and planned to move to Kentucky. Instead, he stayed and called the area “Little Kentuck.”
- Reservations are recommended for tours and can be completed online
- Children under 6 are not allowed to tour the house
- You are not allowed to take photos inside the house, even for personal use
- The shuttle is not wheelchair accessible but you can park your vehicle at the house if needed. There are small entry stairs to the house but a ramp can accommodate wheelchairs, although some areas in the house are not wheelchair accessible.
- Bathrooms are near the parking lot before entering the gift shop
Birdhouses are found near the welcome center. Part of the sculpture garden at Kentuck Knob
Frank Lloyd Wright Road Trip
If you can’t get enough of Wright’s architecture, you can embark on the Great Wright Road Trip, which highlights some of his most significant work in the eastern United States. And they’re all within 4 hours driving distance of each other!
The partnering sites include:
Pennsylvania
Fallingwater (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Mill Run, PA
Kentuck Knob, Chalk Hill, PA
Polymath Park, Acme, PA
Hagen History Center, Erie, PA
New York
Blue Sky Mausoleum, Buffalo, NY
The Filling Station at the Pierce Arrow Museum, Buffalo, NY
Fontana Rowing Boathouse, Buffalo, NY
Graycliff, Derby, NY
Martin House, Buffalo, NY
Interesting Facts about Frank Lloyd Wright
When he got his start as a designer, he agreed not to do any side work. He had a taste for the finer things and did some house designs on the side and was soon after fired by his boss.
He fell in love with the wife of one of his clients. His wife refused to grant him a divorce so he essentially lived in sin with his mistress, Mamah Cheney, and set tongues wagging.
He built his famed home Taliesin in Wisconsin as a retreat for he and Mamah. One day when he was away on business, Mamah was lunching with members of her staff when a disgruntled working attacked them with an axe and killing her and her children.
On a more positive note, his son, John Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916.
As a prominent American architect, 300 of his 400 structures still survive, including Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, and one of his most well-known structures, the Guggenheim.
