10 • ISSUE June 2012
Volume 18, No. 9
Creative waters run deep
VISIT TO FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT MASTERPIECE DOESN’T DISAPPOINT MILL RUN. Pa. — AS THE WEEKEND TRIP to Pittsburg for a family wedding loomed near, I began to wonder if the strict time constraints and added expense of sightseeing were going to be worth the trouble. Booking an earlier flight, renting a car, turnpike fees — I started to lose faith that I would be rewarded for my efforts with a MasterCard-esque “priceless” moment. But, as a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, the chance to see his Fallingwater house was too good to pass up. A week prior to the trip, my partner and I had booked the latest possible time to tour the house. With our flight leaving Houston at 7 a.m., and our rental car reserved at the Pittsburg airport for noon, we knew it would be tight to make the last tour of the day at 2:30 p.m. As soon as we touched down, I grabbed the keys to a barely broken-in Ford Focus and hit the road. We made our way through “The Pitt” with ease, our eyes treated to one of the most gorgeous skylines I’ve seen. The buildings seemed to bloom into view as we exited the Fort Pitt Tunnel, our pupils readjusting to the light as the skyscrapers loomed nearer. Downtown Pittsburg is nestled between the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, both of which were glistening in the noon sun, making the bridges and buildings dance with reflected light. Eighty miles, two tunnels, and one turnpike later, we rolled through a town of old-style general stores and six-pack shacks. The contrast between the metropolitan awe of The Pitt and the vast rolling greenery of Mill Run is stark. After passing the third taxidermy business in as many miles, we saw signs pointing us in the direction of Fallingwater. We pulled into the parking lot with 20 minutes to spare and I wondered aloud, “Where the hell is the house?” We started up a trail leading into the woods, marked with a huge stone sign engraved with “Fallingwater.” After a short walk, we found the welcome center, which is constructed in an open-air, circular structure with a 360 degree
Story by Skyler Williams
view of the woods. Still wondering where the hell the house was, we followed a gravel path through green-shaded woods for a fiveminute walk until we met our tour guide. About halfway down the path, my ears caught the first indication that Fallingwater was near. Amidst the bird chirps and chatting of the other guests, the unmistakable sound — low and constant — of a waterfall emerged from the woods. As I rounded the last bend to catch my first glimpse of the house, the sounds of cascading water, wind blowing through the tall trees, and birds and people talking in their respective tongues, all combined in a harmonious manner. My senses swelled as I walked — eyes, ears, and mouth agape — toward one of the most well-known pieces of architecture ever constructed. Our small group of eight was met by Joy Miller, a lovely docent whose job — and silk-printed Frank Lloyd Wright neck scarf — filled me with envy. We made our way to the side entrance of the house. By the entrance, as if you need a reminder of where you are, a small stream of water flows in an arc from a hole in the side of the house, collecting in a small pool on the porch. The entryway leads directly into the main living area, leading one to feel as if one is stepping back in time. Designed in 1936 and finished in 1939, the house was commissioned by the affluent Kaufmann family of Pittsburg until it was donated to the Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. For nearly 50 years, this house museum has remained frozen in time. I walked into the living room with a sense of wonderment that must have been shared by the more than 2 million guests who had come before me. Though it is what you would refer to as “ground level,” the majority of the living room is actually suspended over the falls of Bear Run Creek as a huge concrete cantilevered tray. Large windows fill the nearly 1,800-square-foot living room with sunlight, making the high-glossed stone floor appear wet. The room has no interior walls, yet Wright managed to create distinct nooks and spaces within the living area through the use of furniture design and placement.