Frank Lloyd Wright's last home was just built near Cleveland
Why it matters: Uhh, there's a new Frank Lloyd Wright house? In 2025? And it's open for overnight rentals?
Wright, who designed more than 1,000 structures over a 70-year career, is regarded by many as the greatest and most influential American architect.
State of play: The home dubbed RiverRock was Wright's final Usonian blueprint. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house was built on site as originally intended.
As of 2023, it was the only unbuilt Wright design that still had its original site available.
Flashback: Wright was commissioned in the 1950s to design a home overlooking the Chagrin River for painter Louis Penfield and his family.
When plans for an interstate highway jeopardized its footprint, Penfield commissioned a second design nearby.
Wright died in 1959, and the family assumed the second design died with him.
Yes but:"To their astonishment, the week of Wright's funeral, a mailing tube with drawings arrived" from Wright's studio, the RiverRock website explains.
They had been on the drawing board when Wright died … [it] was, quite literally, Frank Lloyd Wright's last residential commission."
The intrigue: Owner Sarah Dykstra acquired the Louis Penfield house in 2018, which came with the Wright plans — Project #5909 in Wright's Taliesin Archives.
Construction began in 2023.
What they're saying: "When we set out to build this home, we gave a mandate to the professional team involved: If you must change something due to current building regulations, code, products, etc., do so under the 'skin' so the house will look exactly the same," Dykstra told the News-Herald.
"We are thrilled our team of construction professionals delivered on this promise and are proud to present a beautiful 2025 build from Wright's 1959 plans."
Stop by: Rental rates start at $800.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
I volunteered to help refugees. I understand my mom better because of it.
My mom fled the Vietnam War. The fact that I was given the opportunity to help families resettle in the U.S., just as someone had helped my mom, is so American. I had a list of interview questions in hand and Afghan women sitting around me, listening intently. All of them were wearing hijabs, and their ages varied. The room was loud from the other groups doing mock job interviews. One woman leaned in, asking question after question. Seeking clarity. Driven to improve. So much was at stake for her, and the hope and anxiety in her eyes touched my heart. She had been in America for two weeks, and this practice job interview could mean the difference between employment and unemployment, between finding safety in a new country or continuing to live in a place of fear and uncertainty. The mock interview was my first assignment while volunteering this summer for the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) in Arlington, Virginia. The organization was founded four decades ago to support Ethiopian immigrants around Washington, DC, and now it focuses on refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. In the months leading up to this internship, I watched documentaries, listened to podcasts, did a school project, and read articles regarding the refugee crisis and the history of Afghanistan. Once I arrived, however, it became clear that this experience wasn't about research or history. It was about shared humanity. Helping refugees is about more than providing shelter Days later, the women had a fashion show to showcase the sewing skills they've been learning as part of job training. I watched the kids so the moms could just enjoy themselves, and as I played with dolls, took photos, chased children around and kept them company, I was struck by how these kids were just like kids everywhere. While the adults were figuring out their families' housing and finances, and getting acclimated to a new culture, the children were making friends, having fun, and feeling safe enough to imagine and to play. One of my favorite things about ECDC is that the resettlement agency not only helps refugees in their need for security, it also helps build joy and emotional connection. Each of these is as important as the other. The job training and help with housing provide security, but it is the laughter of the children that gives the families a true sense of home and community. Opinion: Trump suspends refugees from entering US. But Americans' compassion gives me hope. Something Bob Elston, a staff member at ECDC, said stuck with me: 'Helping individual families ‒ seeing their progress ‒ is the reason we come to work. Their success becomes our shared success.' This idea lingered with me, but I truly felt it a week into my internship when I saw the same woman from the mock interviews at a different event. She walked up to me, thanked me for helping her and hugged me. I could feel her gratitude through the hug, and in that moment, I thought I might cry. I'm the daughter of a refugee from the Vietnam War I felt connected to her future by connecting to my own past because I am the daughter of a refugee. My mom fled the Vietnam War and made a new life for herself in America, starting from ground zero. Honestly, I saw my mom in the faces of all the women I spoke with at ECDC, each one trying to create a new life in a new place after fleeing a place of chaos. The fact that I was given the opportunity to help families resettle in America, just as someone had helped my mom, was such a beautiful example of compassion coming full circle. Opinion: We have not healed from the Vietnam War. Don't let it take another 50 years. At one point during my internship, I laughed to myself because I, the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee, was having lunch with a Sudanese family while working for the Ethiopian Community Development Council, which helps Afghan refugees. It was funny and poignant, but what I remember the most about that moment was that I couldn't stop thinking about how American it was. It's commonplace to point out that America is a melting pot; I'm talking about more than that. I'm talking about the American character, that foundational impulse that shows itself in the desire to help, to see beyond surfaces and to offer a hand to those who stand at the threshold. I've always known the truth of that impulse because of my mom's story, but after my time with the refugee resettlement agency, I know beyond certainty that by extending a hand, we increase our own hope. Madeleine Nguyen Kayne is a rising high school senior at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, California. She serves as an editor for Crossfire, competes on the tennis varsity team, and is the founder and president of her school's Red Cross chapter. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
7 Books You Should Read If You're In Your Nonfiction Era
Truth is, I'm not an adventurous reader. As a book lover, I really should be, but I often find myself sticking stubbornly to one genre. At age 12, I was a diehard R.L. Stine fan and proclaimed myself a horror-exclusive reader. Then at 14, I discovered Harry Potter and made that series my entire personality. My late 20s were dominated by thrillers, and it wasn't until recently that I've tried something new: nonfiction. Related: For many staunch fiction readers like moi, nonfiction can feel like an intimidating genre. I enjoy a good story with an engrossing narrative, and nonfiction, depending on the title you pick, can read like a boring college lecture. I've dabbled with a few, and so far these are the seven genuinely enjoyable nonfiction books that kept me turning the page. Art Thief by Michael Finkel Think stealing one artwork is impressive? Imagine stealing more than 200. Stéphane Breitwieser did exactly that during his eight-year stint as a master art thief. Along with his accomplice-slash-lover, Breitwieser road-tripped across Europe, hitting one museum after another a lá Bonnie and Clyde (minus the murders). The most striking thing about this is how maddeningly mundane and simple these heists were. No fancy gadgets, no rappelling from the ceiling, Mission: Impossible-style. All he needed was a screwdriver, a big enough coat, and lax security. Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker Out of the 12 Galvin children, six suffered from schizophrenia. Hidden Valley Road is both a tragic family biography about violence and abuse and a history of schizophrenia: how it's studied and treated throughout the decades. It's emotional, informative, and a fascinating read. The medical sections of the book were interesting, but what really kept me reading was the family drama. If you're interested in psychology and mental illness, this should be next on your list. in H Mart by Michelle Zauner This is a beautiful, bittersweet biography about the complex relationship between Japanese Breakfast singer and songwriter Michelle Zauner and her mother. She talks about her childhood, split between relatives in Korea and her predominantly white hometown in Oregon. She walks us through her rebellious teen years, her pursuit of music, and her mother's cancer diagnosis. This book made me cry and pick up the phone, calling my own mother. When you read this, keep the tissues handy. 4.I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy If you loved iCarly, you likely remember the titular character's best friend, the memorable and feral Sam, played by Jennette McCurdy. Given everything we know about child stardom, it's no surprise that McCurdy's time at Nickelodeon was less than picture perfect. In this autobiography, McCurdy details the abuse she endured from her unstable mother at the rise of her career. Though the darker parts of the book may be difficult to read, McCurdy's effortless humor lends a tone of levity throughout the story. Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe A group of masked intruders dragged Jean McConville out of her home and into the night — she was never heard from again. Although this book digs into McConville's disappearance, much of it recounts The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the bitter, violent conflict between the IRA and the British Army in the '70s to the '90s. You'll learn much about Northern Ireland's history, politics, and the main figures leading the cause. This book is a thick one, full of rich and detailed info, so be prepared — you're in for a long read. by Patric Gagne Patric is not like other girls. Not in a 'pick me' kind of way, but in a I-don't-feel-empathy-for-people kind of way. That's because Patric believes she's a sociopath. The draw of this biography, for me, is the peek into Patric's mind. It's interesting to witness her internal struggle: While she has an impulsive need to act violently, she deep down wants to be a good person and strives against her urges. Now, there is online debate about this book's authenticity, but for me, I'm all in, real or not. And if 10 years from now it's revealed to be all lies, at least it was still an entertaining read. of the Flower Moon by David Grann In 1920s Oklahoma, the Osage Nation, living on oil-rich land, were the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The community thrived until…someone began killing them off, one by one. This is an absolute must-read about a forgotten dark time in American history. Written like a fast-paced thriller, this book unravels the secrets and conspiracy behind the Osage murders. If you must read one thing from this list, let it be this. It's a dark and tragic story, one you'll never forget. These books are just a stepping stone to my nonfiction journey, with Devil in the White City as my current read to be followed by Kingmaker. I may keep this nonfiction streak, I may not. Who knows — maybe I'll try sci-fi this fall.
Associated Press
7 hours ago
- Associated Press
Celebrating 200 years of rail travel at The Greatest Gathering of trains
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.
