PA & NY 2023: Frank Lloyd Wright - Usonian Homes in Polymath Park

The next leg of our two week road trip through New York State and Pennsylvania would engulf my husband Rich and I within the world of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  We would be visiting five homes designed in his unique organic architectural style including his most famous creation, Fallingwater.  Our entire trip was planned around a visit to Polymath Park where we would stay one night in a house designed by a student of Wright.

Polymath Park is a resort located in a 125-acre forest in the Allegheny Mountains, about 1.5 hours south of Punxsutawney and an hour south-east of Pittsburgh.  It hosts four architectural landmarks that are examples of Usonian homes, which were mass-produced, pre-fabricated dwellings meant to conform with many of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design philosophies while being affordable to the middle class at around $15000 each.  In 1956, Wright designed three models of pre-fabricated houses that could be mass-produced in a less expensive manner than his traditional bespoke designs.  He partnered with builder Marshall Erdman, who intended to create multiple communities populated by these houses.  Usonian homes were relatively small (1800-2400 sq ft), single-story houses designed with simplicity in mind while still integrating with nature by using local materials including wood, stone and glass.  They were often L-shaped in configuration, featuring flat roofs, cantilevered overhangs that provide “passive solar heating and natural cooling”, and much use of glass with both large-paned and clerestory (above eyelevel) windows to let in natural lighting.

To limit costs, Wright used standard sheets of plywood, Masonite and drywall for the walls, and less expensive off-the-shelf windows and doors.  Interestingly, the Wikipedia entry about Erdman pre-fab homes indicate that only the major structural components including walls, floors, doors and cabinetry were included.  The buyer was responsible for providing the lot of land and the foundation of the property as well as all plumbing and electrical work.  By the time the smoke cleared, each Usonian property would probably cost over $30000 or almost double the average home price at the time.  To say that these homes were affordable for the middle class might be a stretch—upper middle class might be more like it.  The project never fulfilled its lofty goals and only around 60 houses were actually constructed.  Of the three pre-fab designs, the third one was never used to build any home.

The four houses currently located in Polymath Park include Duncan House and Mantyla House, which were designed by Wright himself, and the Balter House and Blum House, designed by his apprentice Peter Berndtson.  These four homes are available for rent and ever since I learned about this, it has been a dream of mine to stay at one of them.  The rates for two Frank Lloyd Wright houses are a whopping $675 and $825 USD per night (plus tax) while the ones designed by Berndston cost relatively less at $475 USD per night.  We opted for Berndston’s Balter House, which would expose us to the design philosophies of Frank Lloyd Wright while still giving us the opportunity to tour his two personally designed homes the next day.  The Balter House allows a maximum occupancy of four people, so we invited our friends Glen and Christiane to join us in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The prosperous Blum and Balter families were friends who wanted summer homes near each other in the Laurel Highlands. They contracted Frank Lloyd Wright to build them but unfortunately, he died before having the chance, so his apprentice Peter Berndston was hired instead.  Berndston originally planned for the Balter and Blum houses to be part of a community of 24 Usonian homes.  Only these two dwellings were built in 1963 and 1965 respectively.  In 2000, entrepreneur Thomas Papinchak purchased the two houses and the property surrounding them which he turned into Polymath Park, restoring the two homes to their original conditions.  In 2006 he purchased the Duncan House and relocated it from Illinois, deconstructing it piece by piece and reassembling it in Polymath Park.  In 2016, to save it from demolition, the park was donated the Minnesota-based Mantyla House from descendants of the Lindholm family after they could not find a buyer.  In 2019, Polymath Park acquired yet another Minnesota-based Frank Lloyd Wright home named “Birdwing” and is currently in the process of reconstruction and restoring it to add to the Polymath collection.  These efforts have possibly been delayed by the pandemic and soaring inflation since it has taken significantly longer for the completion of this endeavour than for the previous homes.

In addition to the houses which can be rented for overnight stays or toured during the day, Polymath Park includes the Tree Tops Restaurant which offers unique dining experiences immersed in nature.  The main “dining room” is a large, canopied outdoor deck where you can choose from a 3 or 5 course meal that includes a champagne toast and brief talk on the history of the resort.  Alternatively, you can dine in a private wooden treehouse accessed by strolling along a planked, tree-lined walkway to enjoy a 4-5 course tasting menu.  Blankets and heaters are provided for cooler nights.  The dinner options are quite pricey and require several hours to complete.  The restaurant was closed when we were there, which made the decision of whether to eat dinner there easy, but we probably would not have anyways.  Since we were only staying at our rental for one night, it was preferable to eat a quick meal off the resort so that we could have more time to enjoy our accommodations.

At the base of the restaurant is a small gift shop, café and visitor centre where we checked in and received the pass code that would open the giant gates to access the forested path leading to our rental property.  Reflecting the design principles of Wright, the building uses materials from nature including various types of wood and a bathroom sink made out of large stones.  The visitor centre was also the location where we would meet the next morning to take our tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses.  After our tour and before leaving Polymath, Rich and I bought a throw blanket to bring home as a souvenir which now lays prominently on our living room couch.

Nestled in a clearing within a forest of mature trees, Balter House is constructed with vertically placed boards of California Redwood and a stone pitched roof that helps with climate control and gives the structure an organic feel.  Large windows all around the exterior walls provide maximum natural lighting. Beyond the main living area is a covered, screened-in porch which is cantilevered, extending outward while propped up by stone pillars to account for the sloping ground.  A second stone porch can be accessed from the main bedroom and is covered by the sloped roof that extends beyond the main structure.

Walking into Balter House, you immediately see the signature “Cherokee red” tiled floors that are commonly used in homes adhering to Frank Lloyd Wright’s design principles. Also noticeable is Wright’s “compression and release” philosophy that dictates the areas where you shouldn’t want to congregate for long.  Areas such as hallways and foyers feel compressed due to narrow passageways, low ceilings and the lack of windows.  They then lead into a bigger, open spaces which provides a sense of release and freedom.  The long, narrow galley-styled kitchen with built-in counters, cupboards and drawers, as well as appliances on both sides is also typical of Wright’s homes.  Back in his day, the idea of the kitchen as a social gathering place was not yet in vogue.  Balter House’s kitchen does have a glassed ceiling to let in more light than the cramped entryway.  The major appliances all seem retro (circa 1970?) and the stove is probably just for show since cooking is not allowed, although we were permitted to store perishables in the refrigerator.  We also had use of a ProKing electric kettle and toaster as well as a Keurig coffee machine.

When we finally emerged into the main living space, the expanse and feeling of openness was magnified when contrasted to the cramped spaces that we just came from.  The resulting “release” was breathtaking, just as Wright intended.  Peter Berndtson learned his lessons well.  While the ceiling in the entry way is less than 7 feet high, the living room rises to 11 feet at the peak of its sloped ceiling with exposed redwood beams which flank two rows of roof-ridge skylights.  The glass along the ceiling adds even more natural lighting to an area that is already surrounded by two walls of large, single-paned glass windows which provide an unobstructed panoramic view of the surrounding forest.  The gigantic built-in stone fireplace is constructed from sandstone boulders harvested from a quarry on the property.  Although all the glass surrounding the space gives plenty of natural light during the day, there is little artificial lighting in terms of lamps or overhead fixtures, so it gets a bit dim at night.  While some of the furniture such as the large couch has obviously been replaced since Balter House became available for rent, there are still a few vintage pieces including a beautifully constructed table/chair combination that allows the chair to swivel out for use and swivel back into the table for compactness.  The coffee table and some of the armchairs seem vintage as well.

The feeling of being immersed in nature continues in the master bedroom which is oriented so that we could watch the sun rise behind the trees in the morning as we lay in bed.  It really was such a special experience to live in this space as opposed to just getting a brief tour of it, as we had in the past with Frank Lloyd Wright houses in other locations.  The windows are opened with a quaint system using a single portable crank that can be moved from window to window.  Our windows had screens on the outside so that we could get fresh air without allowing bugs in.  I’m not sure that Wright would have approved of this since he cared more about esthetics than function or comfort.  A desk and chair that is tucked into one corner of the bedroom provided the perfect setting for me to sit with my laptop, jotting down notes about our trip while marveling at my surroundings.

Table lamps with iconic Frank Lloyd Wright design patterns sit on both end tables and on the desk.  A set of glass doors lead from the bedroom out to the covered porch whose pillars and walls are built from stones similar to the ones found in the fireplace.  Like the kitchen, the ensuite bathroom has a very retro 1970s feel with its wood paneling and tan-coloured tiles.  The theme of the Cherokee red flooring, which is pretty much found throughout the house, carries on through the bedroom and bathroom.

In addition to the master bedroom, there are three more bedrooms in the Balter House including another fairly large sized one with a Queen bed, as well as two smaller rooms with single beds.  Regardless of the size, each bedroom has its own private exit leading outside.  These bedrooms contain intricate built-in furnishings that connect the floor to ceiling closets to a desk/vanity and shelving.  It is interesting that although there are enough bedrooms and beds for 6 people, the rental agreement only allows a maximum of 4 people.  This is possibly to limit the amount of wear and tear on the property.  The cantilevered screened in porch, with its slanted roof and windows on three sides, juts out into the forest giving the room a treehouse feel, albeit a very luxurious treehouse.  The built-in benches covered with large cushions provide an excellent space to relax with a book while enjoying the natural environment around you.

It would have been nice to be able to spend another day in this gorgeous home.  But even if we had the time and wanted to spend the money, logistically it would have been difficult since renters are required to hide their belongings and vacate the premises during the day to accommodate the guided tours.  So we just enjoyed our one evening and left the next morning, returning to the Visitors Centre where we would hop on a small van in order to tour the two Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Polymath Park.

The first stop in our tour was the Duncan house, one of the few Usonian homes constructed.  Originally located in a suburb of Chicago, Donald Duncan selected the Prefab design #1, a single-story elongated L-shaped dwelling with a pitched-roof wing containing three bedrooms, a flat-roofed living-dining-kitchen area and a large car port.  As one of the later “modified” versions of the first design, Duncan house had a walk-out basement which is very unusual.  After Duncan died in 2002, his house was in danger of being torn down by developers when it was purchased by Thomas Papinchak and painstakingly moved to Polymath Park.  Frank Lloyd Wright did not approve of garages since he thought cars were noisy, smelly objects that disrupted the natural aesthetics and harmony of his designs.  Begrudgingly he added minimalistic covered “carports” (a phrase which he coined) extending from exterior walls of his prefab houses in order to provide rudimentary shelter for vehicles.  Arriving at the Duncan House, we entered through a side door accessed under the carport to find the kitchen area.

Entering the kitchen area, we were immediately struck by the bold, beautiful colour of the countertops as well as the bright primary colours of the vintage Dansk cookware that hung from a ceiling rack.  Unlike the Balter House, the kitchen in the Duncan House is not a long, narrow, galley-styled and the floors are not the iconic “Cherokee red” although the countertops are close to that hue.  While the refrigerator and most of the cabinetry are laid out traditionally against two walls, the stovetop is positioned atop a central island that includes a seating nook with two stools underneath an overhang.  The oven is even more uniquely positioned as it is imbedded in an adjacent wall that is tiled with long flat stones.  Two large windows provide natural light and give the space a cheery, airy feel when the sun is out. The overall result is unique and stunning.

On the other side of the kitchen is a large, windowed area with a small table and four chairs that feel dwarfed relative to the size of the space. This seems like a setup for an informal breakfast area with a toaster oven, kettle, and microwave on the counter and a juice cart off to one side.  This room might have been originally designed as the main dining room since it could fit a much larger dining table.  Continuing on into the living space, there is found yet another slightly larger table that is more formal, positioned atop an area rug and against a wall with the same stone motif as is found in the kitchen.  The stone motif extends across the living room to form a large, masonry fireplace.  In this main space, the Cherokee red flooring finally makes its appearance, proving that Wright could not give up his trademark detail, even in less expensive versions of his homes.

As is typical of Usonian and Wright-inspired homes in general, Duncan House’s main living space features floor-to-ceiling glass windows, panels and doors.  The wall-less “living room” is delineated by a large stylish rug with a pair of what looks like replica Eames chairs and ottomans, since it is unlikely that valuable antique Eames furniture would be provided in a rental property.  To complete the living room space, there is also a glass and wood kidney-bean shaped coffee table and a funky bench-seating/end table piece that is so low to the ground that Frank Lloyd Wright would have approved.  Two red armchairs are positioned in a corner surrounded by glass, overlooking an outdoor patio furnished with wicker patio furniture.  While our tour did not take us into the basement, images on the internet show what it looks like.

Duncan House upholds Wright’s compress and release strategy with its narrow, windowless hallways leading to bedrooms and bathrooms.  The bedrooms all have large windows and often built-in wardrobes, cabinetry and shelving.  While we entered Duncan House through the back door from the carport, we exited through the front door and found the continuation of the Cherokee red flooring as well as the lowered ceilings in the entry way.

The second Frank Lloyd Wright designed house on our tour was named Mantyla, meaning “House among the pines” in Finnish.  It was purchased by the Lindholm family in 1952 and constructed in Northern Minnesota.  When the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy granted permission for the home to be relocated to Polymath Park, efforts were made to recreate the environment and view of the original site including planting more pine trees.  One of the larger Usonian homes at 2300 square feet, Mantyla is L-shaped with cantilevered overhangs and a carport like Duncan House.  It is constructed with painted concrete blocks and a roof clad with reddish tiles. Upon entry, we see the now expected red floors as well a wall made of similarly looking painted cement blocks with two passthrough openings that expose the small kitchen.  As with the Duncan House, the oven is imbedded into the kitchen wall, and the refrigerator and dishwasher are built into the cabinetry, as is the stovetop which sits on top of the red countertops.  The ceiling of the kitchen is lowered by a sizable bulkhead where pot lights are inserted.  As this seems to be another example of “compression”, I don’t think Frank Lloyd Wright believed much in the art of cooking.

The odd-shaped dining table is with built with interesting tilt as if it was crammed into the space that remained after Wright laid out his rooms.  One unique aspect about Mäntylä is that the home contains many of its original furnishings, ensuring you are seeing the home as Wright intended it to look, which seems to always favour form and style over function.  The living room is massive and stunning with high ceilings, an entire wall of glass panes looking out into the forest, built-in bookshelves and cushioned bench seating with clerestory windows along the top of the wall to let in more light.  The coffee table in the centre of the space is extremely low, as are the velour-covered foot stools surrounding it and also placed against the glass wall.  You would need very good knees to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house.

The narrow hallways leading to spacious, light-filled bedrooms follow the now familiar pattern of these Usonian homes.  From the master bedroom, there is a lovely view of the outdoor patio.

It was wonderful to explore and experience the Duncan and Mantyla houses, but we remain happy with our choice to stay at the Balter House. It gave us all of the esthetic feel of being in a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home but was also much more practical and functional as a place to actually live in, even for just one night.  As expected, our visit at Polymath Park and staying overnight was a special and memorable experience.