Riding down the moss lined narrow lane through the forest, a sense of calm surrounds you. All we see is the winding lane, the lush forest, spring flowers everywhere, violets, daisies, and Bear Run creek below to our right.
Approaching Fallingwater
There is nothing to indicate that the place we have come to visit has welcomed 5.5 million visitors since it opened as a museum. We park the bikes and walk up the boardwalk to the visitor’s centre: everything is low key, low impact wooden buildings you don’t see until you get up to them.
Our 11am tour group of 9 people is invited to walk down the gravel path to the bridge on the right. It is a lovely walk through the forest. The birds are chirping and the rushing water of Bear Run creek gets louder and louder until suddenly it is revealed: Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece!
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house
Fallingwater was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s, one of the most prolific, unorthodox and controversial masters of 20th-century architecture who created over 500 structures over his 70 year career, and is widely recognised as the best example of “organic architecture”, integrating buildings with nature. Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann, a prominent Pittsburgh couple, commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build their summer retreat, knowing he shared their love of nature. They had wanted to make the view of the waterful a feature of their new home, never expecting to have the waterfall to become part of the actual house! Rather than simply look at the waterfall, Wright wanted the Kaufmanns to live with it!!
Cantilevered terraces of local sandstone blend harmoniously with the rock formations, appearing to float above the stream below and glass walls open the rooms to the surrounding landscape. As you enter any room in the house, your eye is drawn outside. But as you look at the detail inside, everything is carefully planned, in balance, serene.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house
At Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house
In 1963 the Kaufmanns donated Fallingwater to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, together with 1,543 acres of surrounding land. Their son Edgar J. Kaufmann jr wanted visitors to have the full experience that Wright created within the spaces of the house: we were able to walk into every part of the house, like any of their guests would have, with no roped off areas, and with all the original furniture, mostly of which was designed by Wright specifically for Fallingwater.
What a privilege it was to visit Fallingwater – another man made structure that moved me in an unexpected and indescribable way.
– Anne
2slowspeeds 
Wow….stunning architecture and design at its best. Grand Designs all over it !
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Absolutely and to see the interior and how it was all in balance and reflected the outside was incredible. I could live there!!!
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How amazing! I’m not surprised you were so moved. The brilliance of people who are ahead of their time is really evident in the photos. Did you take a video by chance? xx
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I am in awe of people’s imagination and brilliance. We couldn’t take photos or videos inside but Anthony did video outside. He’ll put it up sometime. Xx
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Soooooooooooo envious
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I could very easily live there!!!!
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Beautiful. Looks like great weather too. x x x
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We have been so lucky with the weather – glorious when it mattered. Xxx
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Coincidence? I shall be visiting the FLW house tomorrow … on BBC2’s series Great American Railroad Journeys! Love the way the sun came out once you had arrived there. xx
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How interesting. The train will most likely stop where we had lunch, at Ohiopyle. Anthony will be talking about that in his next blog. Xxx
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Woah – massive deja vu here….! This is another coincidence: it was literally just earlier this week that I discovered this house in a book! Now I can’t for the life of me remember where I read it. But your post has told me much more than I picked up from that first encounter. A pleasure to see this, and the video too. xx
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That is an amazing coincidence, we had not planned to go there so yes some deja vu involved. Glad you enjoyed both the story and the video.
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You should have put in an offer to buy it, I’d look after it for you !!
Keep safe
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You should have seen the guest quarters!!! You’d probably never leave!
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What a fabulous experience; we are very envious! lots of love and safe travels from us both.
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