TIME AFTER TIME (opening spread) Greenville’s only Frank Lloyd Wright–designed home, Broad Margin, was completed in 1953 and was created to be a timeless part of the landscape. Fewer than twenty of Wright’s homes earned one of the architect’s signature red tiles, but Broad Margin is one of them. WELCOME The Broad Margin logo, which Wright designed as an integral part of his home design, is pictured here carved into the front gates that access the home’s driveway. “Every Wrightdesigned home had its own logo, but how he came up with it is just another one of his genius creations,” says Broad Margin’s caretaker, Amy Zimmer. NUTURE V. NATURE (opposite) One of Broad Margin’s defining features is the impressive overhang of its roofline, pictured here looking into the living room windows. That roofline has not sagged or settled in more than sixty years.
The Studebaker abruptly stopped as Charlcy slammed on the brakes. From the passenger seat, Gabrielle, shouted, “There it is. There’s Taliesin!” Greenville sisters, Charlcy and Gabrielle Austin, had finally arrived at their destination. The last leg of their journey had been over the rolling hills in southern Wisconsin on Route 23. On that winding road they saw a fascinating blend of gigantic rocks, Guernsey cattle, and spindly trees. The changing hills and fields were eye-catching, but the sisters had tunnel vision for this house and this house alone: Taliesin, the summer home of Frank Lloyd Wright. The famed architect had invited the sisters for a business appointment.
Wright’s house in Spring Green, Wisconsin, was built in 1911; the year was 1951. This home, built on the brow of a hill, grabbed their immediate attention. It had burned twice, but like the mythical Phoenix, it appeared new. With stucco walls and overhanging roofs, the one-story kept its silent vigil over the Wisconsin River and the green valley below. The sisters’ Studebaker had completed the road trip from Greenville to here in fine form. Their five-passenger car gave them plenty of room to spread out, and it was economical to run, which was in keeping with the prudent nature of all their decisions. They were always judicious with their hard-earned money, as their jobs as librarians did not pay high salaries. But as they approached Wright’s home, the spinsters could hardly contain themselves. The invitation to meet the influential architect was mind-boggling, though it had been long pursued.
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