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Frank Lloyd Wright’s House on Kentuck Knob
Contact: Marianne Skvarla, +1 724.329.1640
Owners of Hagan Ice Cream Work with Frank Lloyd Wright to Turn Timbered Farmland into a Deluxe Usonian Setting
Synopsis
In 1954, Hagan Ice Cream owners I.N. and Bernardine Hagan contacted architect Frank Lloyd Wright via their friend Edgar J. Kauffmann, owner of Kaufmann's Department Stores and the architectural masterpiece Fallingwater. The Hagans wanted a Wright-designed home of their own for 80 acres of timbered farmland on a hilltop which maps referred to as Kentuck Knob, located in the Appalachians. The house, now owned by Lord Peter Palumbo, exemplifies Usonian traits such as horizontal lines and built-in furnishings, while conforming to Mr. Wright's principles of organic architecture through the use of natural materials like Pottsville Sandstone and Tidewater Red Cypress.
Overview
In 1954, Hagan Ice Cream owners I.N. and Bernardine Hagan contacted architect Frank Lloyd Wright via their friend Edgar J. Kauffmann, owner of Kaufmann's Department Stores and the architectural masterpiece Fallingwater. The Hagans wanted a Wright-designed home of their own to place on 80 acres of timbered farmland on a hilltop which maps referred to as Kentuck Knob, located in the Appalachians.
Rather than a grand weekend retreat, however, the Hagans hoped for a year-round residence in the Usonian style. Usonian, a term coined by Mr. Wright, comes from the acronym USONA, which stands for United States of North America. These single level homes were meant to be true American architecture.
Though Kentuck Knob, with its 2200 square feet of living space, is larger than most Usonians, the house exemplifies Usonian traits such as horizontal lines, perforated wooden cut-outs, and built-in furnishings. It also conforms to Mr. Wright's principles of organic architecture because it is built into the brow of the hill, not on top of it, while utilizing natural materials such as Pottsville Sandstone, Flagstone, and Tidewater Red Cypress wood.
In 1986, Lord Peter Palumbo of London, England, purchased the home from the Hagans and used the house as a holiday retreat until he decided to open it to the public in 1996. Since then, Kentuck Knob has received National Historic Landmark status. Tens of thousands of visitors tour the house and the adjacent world-class sculpture meadow each year.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RENAISSANCE »
A view of the David Lawrence Convention Center
Green Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is leading the way in green initiatives. With green buildings located throughout the city and the nation’s first green convention center, we’re rethinking the cityscape and uncovering new ways to keep it green.
