Blum House to Open April 2008 Offering Nightly Lodging by the Room

Acme, PA—For those seeking to experience an overnight stay in a Frank Lloyd Wright house, Polymath Park Resort in Acme, PA is a Usonian utopia. The Duncan House, which opened to guests last June, has been a dream come true for many Wright followers, particularly those traveling long distances to visit Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater, located less than 20 miles away. A second house on the property also proves to be popular with those who appreciate the beauty of organic architecture. The Balter House, designed by Wright apprentice Peter Berndtson, is strongly influenced by Wright’s organic philosophies and has been described by guests as “a magical tree-house.”

To meet the lodging demand, a third Wright-inspired home will open its door to overnight guests in April 2008. The Blum House, a Berndston home built on the property in 1965, which has been used over the past six months as the resort’s temporary visitor center, will offer individual rooms to be rented by the night, more similar to a bed and breakfast than the other two Polymath houses, which can only be rented as a whole house unit, and with a two-night minimum.

“We decided to offer the Blum House as a shared lodging facility in response to our prospective guests’ requests,” explains Laura Argenbright, resort director and spokesperson. “This will give guests who are traveling alone or who are only in the area for a limited time the opportunity to stay more affordably. As the Duncan and Balter houses are quickly booking up through the year, it also opens up space for more guests to stay during the same period.”

The Blum House will offer four distinct lodging options: The King Suite, a large room that overlooks the 20-acre Meadow and features glass-mitered corner windows, a built-in desk, private exit to the stone patio, private bath, and geometric windows spanning the roof line; The Laurel View and the Meadow View rooms, each with queen-sized beds and scenic views, and a shared hall bath. The Blum House is also available as a whole-house rental by special arrangement. Common areas of the house include a galley kitchen, a large living room featuring a dramatic stone fireplace, glass wall and skylights, a stone patio and a sun porch.

The Duncan House was rebuilt at Polymath Park after having been saved by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy in 2004. Designed by Wright as a modest but modern Usonian meant for the middle-class, it was originally built in 1957 for Donald and Elizabeth Duncan. Upon the settling of Duncan’s estate, the home was saved, dismantled, stored and moved in four tractor trailers to Western PA. After two years in storage, the Duncan House found its new residence at Polymath Park, where it joined two homes that were built on the property in the mid-sixties and designed by the late Peter Berndtson, a Pittsburgh architect and Wright apprentice. Together, the three fabulously-designed organic homes are privately nestled at the base of the Laurel Highlands, situated among 125 gorgeous wooded acres that make up the architectural Mecca now known as Polymath Park Resort.

The primary focus of Polymath Park Resort is to provide an inspiring lodging atmosphere in which guests can experience for themselves the organic vision of these two great architects. Combined with a visit to Wright’s nearby Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, a stay at Polymath Park completes a wonderful architectural journey. Rates range from $245 per night for a room in the Blum House to $425 per night for the entire Duncan House. A two-night minimum applies to stays in the Balter and Duncan houses, but the Blum House is available with a one-night stay.

Plans are underway for the renovation of the 1870s farmhouse original to the property which will be used as the new Visitor Center. Plans for this facility include a welcome center, restaurant and lounge, and additional event space. Usonian Preservation, Inc., the non-profit organization which operated the homes, will begin a capitol campaign to support this project later this spring.

In addition to lodging, Polymath Park Resort also is available for corporate and private events. The Duncan House boasts the Boulder Room, a meeting and banquet facility in the lower level of the house. Larger events can be held under tent in the Meadow. The Resort also hosts several special events each year. Upcoming events include a unique culinary experience with “Taste Art LIVE” on April 11, monthly Sunset Tour & Pasta Flammagio Dinners, Murder Mystery Dinners, a Red, Wright & Blues Celebration on the 4th of July, and a wonderful holiday Progressive Dinner scheduled for December 13th.

Due to the lodging schedule, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Duncan House at Polymath Park Resort is only open to the public for tours on Sundays. Group tours (more than 20 guests) can be scheduled throughout the week with advance reservations based on availability. Reservations for tours and events should be made in advance by phone at 877-833-7829 or by email to events@polymathpark.com. More information regarding events or lodging can be found at www.polymathpark.com.

Preserving a Legend: The Story of the Frank Lloyd Wright Duncan House at Polymath Park Resort

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What does it take to preserve a legend?

Vision. Talent. Passion. Dedication.

Nestled deep in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, where the lush, wooded hills and long views provide a natural backdrop for outdoor recreation, historical attractions and a simpler way of life, preservation has been the driving force behind a mammoth project to protect the legend of one of America’s most celebrated architects.

Here in Westmoreland County, at the base of the Chestnut Ridge, a small crew of innovative craftsman worked tirelessly for more than a year to reconstruct a Usonian home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Wright’s Duncan House has had a remarkable journey. But it didn’t start here. To understand the full impact of this home’s significance, we must take you back to Lisle, Illinois. Here, in the 1950s, a young couple had the desire to build a home that was designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. They set out to create the home of their dreams. The Duncan House was completed in 1957 and served as a unique residence for Donald and Elizabeth Duncan until Mr. Duncan passed away in 2002.

In 1936, Wright developed a series of homes he called “Usonian.” Over about a 15 year period, he built more than a hundred of these structures all over the United States. The “prototype” to the Usonians was the Willey House built in 1934. Mr. Wright’s intent was to develop a grammar and construction method for the production of simple, affordable, beautiful houses.

These homes were simple: concrete floors, natural wood walls, brick masonry piers and fireplaces. Yet, they provided a vast variety of different solutions and fit well into a number of different settings and climates.

The Duncan House was no different. This 2200 square foot three-bedroom home has all of the elements of any other single family dwelling….kitchen, dining area, three bedrooms, two baths, central gathering room (today, the Great Room). But yet, this home has something more. Designed to be an environment that stimulates creativity and integrates nature into every aspect of the home, The Duncan House embodies all of the ethereal qualities of Wright’s Usonians.

We are fortunate that the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy stepped in to save this architectural landmark when a developer purchased the property on which it stood in Lisle. He had the insight to offer the home to the Conservancy who then set out to find a buyer to reconstruct it. The Duncan House was carefully dismantled, each piece marked and cataloged, and this Usonian masterpiece became a complex unfinished puzzle as piece by piece, it was stashed away in trailers. These unimposing trailers carrying such precious cargo eventually made their way to Acme, Pa to find a new home at Polymath Park Resort. The new location was very compatible-- Polymath Park and its two houses were designed in the 1960s by Peter Berndtson, one of Mr. Wright’s apprentices, for Pittsburghers Harry Blum and James Balter. It is also situated within 30 miles of two of Wright’s other structures, the world famous masterpiece, Fallingwater, which is only 17 miles away, and his home on Kentuck Knob, just 30 miles away.

The Duncan House now had a second chance and a new purpose, this once single-family residence would now be open to many visitors as a guest house and tour facility with the space to host business functions and private events. Groundbreaking took place on June 26, 2006. More than 100 supporters, journalists and friends of the project participated in this exciting event.

Now that The Duncan House found a new residence, it was time to put the pieces of the puzzle back together. Again, this would require great vision, skill, dedication and a passion to preserve the legacy. It also took an abundance of materials. For example, more that 6000 linear feet of mahogany battens are used throughout the house. This provides the horizontal pattern that adds interest to both the interior and exterior. The Duncan House was designed with a 4 foot by 4 foot modular grid pattern which intersects both the interior and exterior walls. In the lower level, now called the Boulder Room, the signature Cherokee red concrete floor pattern reflects the theme as well.

A Usonian home would not be complete without a stone fireplace. In the Duncan House, you will find two incredibly stunning natural stone fireplaces constructed of Maryland ledgerock, native to the area. More than 120 tons of this stone were dry-stacked in a horizontal architectural pattern to reconstruct the Duncan House.

Finally complete, the home was unveiled to the public on June 14, 2007. Since then, visitors have come from across the world to share this vision and spend the night in this innovative Frank Lloyd Wright home.

Overnight lodging rates start at $385 per night in the Duncan House, $345 per night in the Balter and Blum houses (the Blum House will open for lodging April 2008). A two-night minimum is required and rates are inclusive of three guests. The Polymath Park Resort homes are offered as guest houses, a rental includes use of the entire house.

New for 2008 summer season will be the opening of the Visitor Center upon completion of a major renovation of the 1880s farm house that native to the farm lands that preceded Polymath Park Resort. The visitor center will include a restaurant and lounge, gift shop, and outdoor seating areas. Spa services will be available with advance reservations. With a gorgeous reflecting pond, a scenic lake, hiking trails and a 10-acre meadow, this natural setting is the ideal location for retreats, family gatherings, weddings and corporate events, and of course private get-aways.

For private events or group tour dining, The Boulder Room is situated in the basement of the Duncan House and can hold up to 70 guests. This unique room features a stone fireplace, glass doors overlooking a natural glacier rock wall, Cherokee red concrete floors and audio/video capabilities.

For more information on lodging and events, visit polymathpark.com, email info@polymathpark.com or call 877-833-7829.

Intelligent Travel: Sleep Wright

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Calling all architecture enthusiasts: Your Frank Lloyd Wright dreams have come true. The 1957 Usonian-style Duncan House in Pennsylvania is now taking reservations, making it the sixth Wright home in the U.S. available for overnight stays.

Unlike Wright’s nearby Fallingwater, which only offers tours, guests at the Duncan House in Polymath Park Resort (which is also home to the Wright-inspired Blum House and Balter House) can fully experience life in a Wright home, from relaxing on the couch to eating in the sunny breakfast nook. In 2002, the 2,200-square-foot, three-bedroom Duncan House was moved from its original location in Lisle, Illinois, to Acme, Pennsylvania, and put in storage until 2006. The Cherokee red-and-beige-striped house was then reassembled, but remains true to Wright’s original construction. Duncan House sits on 125 wooded acres with hiking trails and a reflecting pond.

The Duncan House is now one of three Wright homes in Pennsylvania. It is 15 miles from Fallingwater and 30 miles from Kentuck Knob, making it a perfect spot to rest on a weekend-long Wright tour. From $385.

And another Wright hotbed on our to-see list is Florida Southern College, which has 12 Wright-designed buildings. Currently undergoing a massive restoration effort, the campus holds the largest collection of Wright buildings on a single site, according to NPR. The first phase of restoration will be celebrated later this month with the premiere of Wright’s 160-foot water dome.

Visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust to find more of his architectural marvels and their upcoming schedule of tours. And IT’s Norie Quintos has suggestions on more things to do in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.

Peter Berndtson Background

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Peter Berndtson

Peter Berndtson was born in Massachusetts on December 14, 1909. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for two years, but was unable to continue because of the death of his father. He joined the Taliesin Fellowship in the fall of 1938 and became a registered architect in Pennsylvania in 1946. In 1953, Frank Lloyd Wright refered to Peter Berndtson as “one of the greatest architects of our time”. Peter Berndtson died on December 27, 1972.

During his lifetime, Berndtson designed more than 87 houses, but only 30 were ever built. The future of many of his houses is not assured. He was one of the first architects to experiment with radiant floor heating. Although the experiment was successful, providing his clients with a new level of comfort, fifty years later it provides termites with convenient pathways throughout the houses. The Blum and Balter houses, however, do not suffer from these problems, despite being located in the woods, because they were the only Berndtson houses to not include radiant floor heating. (Berndtson experiment with radiant ceiling heat in the Balter House, installing therm wire in the ceiling. Unfortunately, the heating coils are no longer fully functional. The baseboard electric, however, is sufficient to heat the structure. Cross-ventilation in summer eliminates any need for artificial cooling.)

Berndtson’s architecture is rooted in the principles and practice of organic architecture, but is not a slavish immitation of Frank Lloyd Wright. He brought his own inspiration to the designs, developing new innovative forms and an original style. His ideas evoked Wright’s architectural philosophy, working within the same language, but writing a different poem.

Copies of the blueprints for both the Blum and Balter houses are on file as part of the Peter Berndtson Collection at the Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives. Another good resource is the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.

A place to call home: The Daily Herald

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by Joan G. Broz, Lisle columnist

Posted Monday, June 25, 2007

ACME, Penn. — In the rolling hills of this town in the Laurel Highlands of west Pennsylvania, a little house that started out in Lisle has found its Cinderella ending.

The house had a Frank Lloyd Wright pedigree that few in Lisle saw as significant. Newer and larger homes were built — and selling well — on some of the house’s original acreage.

The sleek, modern little ranch was built in 1957 for Donald and Elizabeth Duncan. The story told is that Elizabeth wanted a house designed by Wright, but her husband, an electrical engineer, thought the famous architect designed only expensive showpiece homes.

The couple clipped newspaper articles following Wright’s career and perhaps stumbled upon a five-page spread on Wright’s prefabs in the December 1956 issue of House & Home magazine.

Prefabricated homes were a new concept in the mid- to late-’50s when Wright designed three for the Marshall Erdman Company in Madison, Wis. The architect wanted to design affordable homes for middle class Americans.

The Erdman factory assembled windows, cabinetry, cut lumber and partial walls and delivered it all to the site on flatbed trucks. Assembly required general construction, stone or cement block work and a foundation.

The Duncans chose the most popular design, No. 1 as featured in the magazine. Erdman then sent to 2255 Edgebrooke Drive in Lisle a 2,200-square-foot, three bedroom, two bath house.

It had a sunken living and dining room with vaulted ceilings. The kitchen had a dining area, laundry alcove and entrance from the carport.

A few letters found in the house indicate the couple communicated with Wright, though there is no indication Wright came to Lisle to supervise construction.

The house had no other owners, occupants or renovations in its first 45 years. As the couple grew older, the house fell into disrepair. When Donald died at the age of 95, his estate sold the house and remaining land to a developer.

In the fall of 2003, the developer asked the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy if it could find a way to preserve the Duncan House and extended a deadline to make it happen.

Tim Baccke, a high school teacher from Pennsylvania, had the house disassembled piece by piece, labeled and shipped more then 500 miles in four semi trailers to Johnstown, Penn., where he hoped to reassemble the house for educational exhibits.

That is where the story ended for many Lisle residents, who were satisfied the home was salvaged but did not have the foresight or financial wherewithal to make what happened next a reality.

The rest of the story might even have surprised innovative thinker Wright, because not only has the cozy Duncan home become one of three early components to an upscale country resort, it also is a banquet facility for 100 guests.

Nestled into the woods, the house is located in Acme, Penn., as part of the Polymath Park Resort that includes two other Usonian-style homes designed by a Wright protégé, Peter Berndtson.

The Balter House and the Blum House both originally were built in the 1960s as second homes for Pittsburgh businessmen.

The disassembled Duncan House sat in four trailers for several years, during which time acquiring the land and financing the project were major concerns.

“Tim Baccke contacted us to see if we could lease them land on which to build the house here at Polymath Park,” said CEO Thomas Papinchak, an owner of a construction company. “So as time went on, my company agreed to do the construction and lease a parcel of property to their group. But about four months into the project, their funding fell through and we were asked if we would want to take over the whole project.”

Papinchak said that since his company was already prepared to absorb the land and construction costs, the rest required securing a state grant given to historic sites and an equal amount in private funding and sponsorships, he said.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy helped as a reference point for the overall architectural questions, Papinchak said.

The Usonian Preservation Corporation was established as a not-for-profit organization for the project’s preservation and reconstruction efforts.

A Pennsylvania Westmoreland County grant came in the nick of time to finance construction of a gravel road to the home site for its summer debut.

An early dilemma centered on whether to rebuild the house using concrete block — as the original couple had chosen for their Lisle home — or to upgrade to stone, which was a second option Wright offered in his original design, said Laura Nesmith, Polymath Park Resort public relations director.

With the conservancy’s blessings, the stonework was chosen because it fits better with the Duncan House’s new location.

The 120,000 tons of Maryland Ledge Rock is dry stacked so no mortar is visible. The exquisite craftsmanship arranged all the lines of the stones to match up with the parallel lines on the Masonite and batten exterior and echo the interior woodwork.

“The colors are all back to the original,” Nesmith said.

Nearly a year after ground breaking, the Duncan House had a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 14 and stood in its reborn glory to welcome tours and overnight guests.

The Duncan House operators offer tours from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays for $16; a two-hour tour of all three homes is $22; free for children younger than 12. The house also is available for an overnight stay at $385 a night, with a two-night minimum.

The new lower-level banquet room, the Bolder Room, seats 100, with a row of full glass doors that open to a patio. It is designed to accommodate both social and business receptions.

For information, visit www.visitduncanhouse.com or www.polymathpark.com, or call (877) 833- 7829.

This summer, organizers plan to host outdoor theater and music events in a large meadow on the grounds. Future plans include adding a spa, cafe and gift shop.

The relocated Lisle house is situated just 4 miles from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, off Route 31. Two signature Frank Lloyd Wright homes, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, are about 45 minutes away.

Like Cinderella when the shoe fit, the Duncan House may get its happily ever after.

Tourism funds doled out to 31 Westmoreland Co. businesses - Tribune-Review

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The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, The Palace Theatre and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Duncan House at Polymath Park each received $25,000 Thursday in Westmoreland County’s fifth annual Tourism Grant Program, presented by the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau.

The Greensburg museum will use the funds for marketing the exhibit “Made in Pennsylvania: A Folk Art Tradition,” said Andrea Cuda, co-owner of the Ramada Inn in Ligonier and grant review committee member.

“This project supports their mission by continuing an outdoor advertising campaign in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and beyond,” said Annie Urban, grant review committee member and executive director of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. “This exhibition will include important examples of high-quality folk art, including fraktur, stoneware, furniture and textiles, all having their origins in Southwestern Pennsylvania.”

The exhibit will be an important draw for the summer tourism season, Urban said. The Greensburg theater will use the funds for marketing outside the county through television, radio, billboards and newspapers, said Teresa Baughman, the theater's marketing manager.

The Greensburg theater will use the funds for marketing outside the county through television, radio, billboards and newspapers, said Teresa Baughman, the theater's marketing manager. “I just think it’s great that we have the opportunity to provide for the community,” Baughman said.

The theater received grants from the county in recent years, but on a smaller scale, Baughman said. It looks to expand its marketing further east.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Duncan House will use the grant to improve a roadway for the Polymath Park Resort that is a short drive from Fallingwater, Urban said. The house was saved and dismantled from its original Lisle, Ill., location and reconstructed in Acme. It will join Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, two other Wright-designed homes, to bring tourists to the area, Urban said.

The three organizations were just a few of 31 tourist-related businesses that received grants totaling $279,960. About 60 people from the tourist-related business and organizations attended the presentation at 10 a.m. at The Palace Theatre to receive grants.

“It’s an exciting morning here,” Urban said. “We had 62 applicants, and 31 could be granted.”

The grants will help the groups with projects related to marketing and/or capital, aiming to further entice prospective tourists to Westmoreland and Fayette counties, Cuda said. The groups that received grants displayed the most potential to bring in tourists from outside the county, she said.

Grants were awarded to a variety of businesses and organizations within the two counties. The committee allocated small sums of money to minor projects, such as the $1,000 the Latrobe Area Chamber of Commerce received to replace its "Welcome to our Neighborhood" sign, which was vandalized in September 2006, Urban said.

Larger sums awarded included $18,200 to Idlewild Park and SoakZone for marketing, and $15,000 to the Days Inn Donegal to help build an outdoor pavilion.

Last year, the committee allocated $255,275 to 25 groups, a sum slightly lower than this year. The grant total is larger this year because it stems from revenue generated from the Westmoreland County hotel tax, Urban said. The tax revenue goes completely to the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau and one-third of it is allocated to the grants, she said.

Other groups receiving funding:

Living Treasures Animal Park, Donegal -- $12,000
Mountain Laurel Chamber of Commerce, Donegal -- $12,000
Courtyard by Marriott Greensburg -- $10,000
Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor -- $10,000
Family Festival Association -- $10,000
Ligonier Highland Games -- $10,000
Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce -- $9,620
Smartours, Ligonier -- $2,095 (capital) and $7,000 (marketing)
Scottdale Historical Society -- $8,900
City of Greensburg, Concerts in the Park -- $8,000
Victorian Vandergrift Museum and Historical Society -- $8,000
Westmoreland County Historical Society -- $7,970
Festa Italiana di Vandergrift Inc. -- $7,500
Stone Villa Wine Cellars, Acme -- $7,000
Old General Store, Donegal -- $6,800
Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival, Greensburg -- $5,000
Wilderness Wildlife Museum, Rector -- $5,000
Stahlstown Flax Scutching Festival -- $4,500
The Irwin Project -- $4,050
Country Manor Motel, Apollo -- $4,000
Seasons in the Mountains, Donegal -- $3,625
Braddock Trail Chapter, NSDAR, Mt. Pleasant -- $2,500
Conemaugh Valley Conservancy, West Penn Trail -- $2,000
West Overton Museums, Scottdale -- $2,000
Ligonier Valley Historical Society -- $1,200

The word has spread to Japan: Wrightian Architectural Archives Japan Click here to read article.

The summaries and links on this page are selected each month to provide visitors to the Japanese-language section of this website with a snapshot of Wright-related news and events overseas. Some of the topics may not seem particularly timely, but few, if any, have been reported in the Japanese media. Please be aware that some links may require free site registration.

Newsweek Covers Wright Restoration

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Newsweek has begun providing text and online video coverage of the ongoing restoration process of Wright’s William A. Glasner House (1905) in Glencoe, IL, on Chicago’s North Shore. At the request of a good friend, Jack Reed rescued the home in 2003, paying $1.5 million. Reed expects to spend $2.5 million more renovating it.

The house features two octagonal rooms, ornate stained-glass windows and a generous living room with a vaulted ceiling and a huge roman-brick fireplace. Reed, who got the house listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2005, marvels at how much the building and its site “intermingle… The house is so sensitively related to the site that the windows change color when the leaves change color. You can imagine Wright smiling to himself about that.”

The house was built on a budget. Experts estimate that the original owners paid Wright only $250 for his drawings. The restoration will include strengthening the living-room walls and ceiling with a rigid steel frame and getting rid of un-Wrightian renovations made by previous owners.

Reed also helped save Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, west of Chicago.

Usonian Community Plans June 30 Tour

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June 30, 2007 is the date for the 4th Annual Friends of Rush Creek Village Tour. Rush Creek, a suburb of Columbus, OH, is comprised of 49 Usonian-style homes built starting 50 years ago. The community was founded by Martha Wakefield in 1946, after Frank Lloyd Wright told her to “Go home, buy a Jeep and build a house for yourself. Then build a house for your next-door neighbor.” Wakefield’s late husband, Richard, built all the houses — each of them different. They were designed by Theodore Van Fossen, who had worked on two projects with Wright.

Rush Creek is believed to be the largest “organically” designed subdivision in the United States, according to the National Park Service. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Two Wrights, One Lot

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Paul Penfield inherited the home that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his parents in 1953 near Cleveland, OH, and spent years restoring it. Now he wants to build the second home that Wright designed for the property, which his parents never built. In 1957, Louis Penfield learned that a highway was going to intersect his land, so he went back to Wright and asked him to design a second house farther south, oriented away from the traffic.

The second Penfield house is one of Wright's last residential designs and the only house planned by Wright that could be built on its original site and authenticated by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, director of the foundation's archives, says that the second home’s design is “more elegant in every way” than the first.

Superior Walls Provides Foundation For Historic Frank Lloyd Wright House

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Superior Walls was approached by Polymath Park Resort, in Acme (Westmoreland County), PA, regarding donation of a foundation for the Duncan House, a 1957 Usonian home designed by worldrenowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

The house had been dismantled from its original location in Lisle, IL, and moved to Johnstown, PA awaiting reconstruction as a guest home fro visitors to the Park. The Park already contains two homes [Balter House and Blum House] designed by Wright’s apprentice, Peter Bernston.

“Groundbreaking” took place in June and the Superior Walls foundation was set in August. The Park is expected to open this fall.

“This project was made possible by the cooperative effort of many people and organizations,” said Tom Papinchak, CEO of Polymath Park Resort, “I would like to personally thank all of our sponsors and partners for their commitment to preserving the past by rebuilding The Duncan House.”

More information about the house and Polymath Park resort or about Frank Lloyd Wright can be obtained at www.polymathpark.com.

Frank Lloyd Wright Structure Finds a Home and a Future in Westmoreland County Click here to read article.

Duncan House to be Re-constructed as a Guest House and Tourism Facility Acme, PA – June 26, 2006 – Plans were unveiled today for the Duncan House, a 1957 Usonian home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In 2002, the structure was dismantled from its original location in Lisle, Ill., and moved to Johnstown, PA, where it has remained in storage. The structure is about to be resurrected, this time as a guest home for many visitors instead of as a single-family residence.

In 2005, Tom Papinchak, CEO of Polymath Park, and owner of Housemasters, Inc. worked together with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, The Progress Fund and the State to put together a plan to reconstruct the Duncan House on the Westmoreland County property. With two structures already on the 125-acre site that were designed by Wright’s apprentice Peter Berndston in the 1960s, Polymath Park proved to be a natural fit for the Duncan House. The Park was designed to be a residential community, but only two of the planned 24 homes were actually built – The Balter House and the Blum House, both for Pittsburgh residents. The Park has been using these homes as annually leased rentals for the past several years.

Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of a new era for the Duncan House. Reconstruction will begin immediately at the renamed Polymath Park Resort as well as grounds and roadway improvements. The Duncan House will be used primarily for lodging and limited tours. Guests will be treated to a relaxing stay with plenty of outdoor activities. A proposed educational facility will provide a place for students to learn about American architecture and environmental preservation.

“This home will be one of only four Frank Lloyd Wright designs in the country where you can actually stay and experience the unique Wright lifestyle,” Papinchak said. “All three homes will be used for overnight lodging as well as for corporate retreats, meetings, school field trips, group tours, and social functions.”

Visitors of Polymath Park Resort will also have the opportunity to enjoy the reflecting pond, numerous hiking trails, an education center, house and grounds tours, a gift shop and café.

“We are fortunate to have the land to build and expand the resort for several uses, but all of our efforts will remain true to the architectural heritage of the Wright and Berndston structures. All of our activities will be culturally-focused with an emphasis on nature and improving the mind, body and spirit,” said Laura Nesmith, PR Director for Polymath Park Resort.

Once the core frame has been reassembled, the Duncan House will be rebuilt, decorated and furnished according to original blueprints and style of the 1950s era. The home was built by Erdman Builders of Madison, Wis. for Donald and Elizabeth Duncan. The Conservancy stepped in to save the home after Donald’s death in 2002 when the estate was sold to a developer who did not want the structure, but donated it the Conservancy to preserve its architectural value.

The floor plan includes three bedrooms, two baths, and Wright’s trademark open living/dining area with a natural stone fireplace as its focal point. Recessed lighting, built-in cabinetry and geometric styling are obvious throughout the home. Natural colors and fabrics will be used to reflect Wright’s dedication to the preservation of nature and its integration with indoor spaces.

Polymath Park Resort is within 30 miles of both Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, two popular and well-established Wright landmarks. “We anticipate that the option of overnight lodging at the Duncan House as well as the Berndston-designed homes will compliment both existing Wright properties and strengthen the tourism draw to the Laurel Highlands for visitors and Wright enthusiasts alike,” Nesmith said.

Polymath Park Resort featuring the Duncan House, the Balter House and the Blum House is expected to be open to the public in late Fall 2006. The development of Polymath Park Resort is expected to create eight local full-time jobs within three years. Reservation and tour information will be announced in August.

Duncan House Reconstruction Built on Cooperative Efforts

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Acme, PA – June 26, 2006 – What does it take to save a piece of architectural history? In the case of The Duncan House, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957, it took perseverance, time, willingness to travel and the cooperation of many concerned parties.

The Duncan house was originally located in Lisle, Ill., near Chicago. When its original owner’s estate was sold in 2002, the fate of the house was uncertain. That was until the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy stepped in to save it. The Conservancy arranged for the structure to be dismantled and at that point, the journey to find its new home began.

This year, the Duncan House will once again stand proud as a representative of the work of its famous designer. The home will be reconstructed for use as a guest house at Polymath Park Resort in Acme, PA. Nestled in the woods of western Pennsylvania and only a short drive from two of Wright’s famous landmarks Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, The Duncan House has landed in a friendly neighborhood with familiar neighbors. Two structures built by Peter Berndston, one of Wright’s original apprentices, will also be used as guest houses at Polymath Park Resort.

Such an achievement does not happen by the work of one individual.

“This project was made possible by the cooperative effort of many people and organizations. I would like to personally thank all of our sponsors and partners for their commitment to preserving the past by rebuilding The Duncan House.” Tom Papinchak, CEO of Polymath Park Resort, said.

The following businesses and sponsors have made this project possible:

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy
The Progress Fund
Mount Pleasant Township
Superior Walls (foundation)
Pella Inc. (windows)
Housemasters of PA, Inc. (construction)

Businesses may elect to donate products or services needed to rebuild the Duncan House for public use through the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, www.savewright.org.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)

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Born in 1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin, Frank Lloyd Wright grew up in an America still very much influenced by the Jeffersonian ideal of an agrarian society. In many ways, he remained throughout his life a nineteenth-century man, for, like Emerson and Whitman, he had a great love for nature. His abiding feeling for the land and his belief in man’s need for a direct relationship with nature were essential to his concept of an “organic architecture”—what Wright envisioned as an American architecture distinct from the classical and Renaissance traditions. His antipathy toward European design was matched by a love for non-Western art, particularly that of Japan.

Wright began his career in Chicago in 1887, but his real architectural education was the five years spent with Louis Sullivan (1856–1924), whose office he joined as a draftsman in 1888. In 1893, though, Wright opened an independent practice and over the succeeding seventeen years was known as a rising young architect in Chicago.

In 1909, Wright left for a sojourn in Europe, and it was during this period that the two famous Wasmuth portfolios were issued. The first, printed in 1910, consisted of 100 beautiful lithographs; the second, which appeared in the following year, was illustrated with photographs of Wright’s executed projects. Their publication and an accompanying exhibition in Berlin brought Wright’s work to the attention of a younger generation of European designers and established his place at the forefront of the modern movement.

On his return to the United States in 1911, Wright was an international figure; but his real importance was little recognized in this country. His controversial personal life—the breakup of his first marriage; the sensational murder of Mamah Borthwick, the woman for whom he left his family; and his later relationships—made his position untenable in conservative Midwestern society and the ensuing two decades were perhaps the most difficult years in Wright’s life. Part of this time was spent on the west coast and in Tokyo with the construction of the Imperial Hotel (ca. 1916–22). At home, the economic constraints of the Depression compounded his professional problems, and few of Wright’s projects were realized during this period.

By the 1930s, however, Wright—then in his sixties—reemerged with a series of remarkable buildings and was once again an accepted leader in modern architecture. For the next quarter century until his death in 1959 at the age of ninety-two, he would build on an unprecedented scale. Although he enjoyed immense fame in his later years, Wright had few distinguished followers. His was a highly individual genius that provided a unique solution for each client and site.

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Frank Lloyd Wright Bio