Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

Hidden away in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania lies one of Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest engineering masterpieces. Nestled quietly over a waterfall in the Allegheny mountains, Fallingwater is a modern home full of peace and serenity. The water that flows steadily underneath could soothe the most savage beast. The neighboring trees house the beauties of nature, and the whistling sounds of the birds who make them their home.

The house was built for retail owner Edgar Kaufman Sr., a prominent Pittsburgh businessman and owner of Kaufman's department stores. He had commissioned  Frank Lloyd Wright to begin building a home for him in 1935. The home was to be built on a piece of property the Kaufman's had owned in nearby Fayette county. Initially the property was to be built facing the waterfall that flowed over Bear Run, or so that was Kaufman's idea for the home. Always the innovator Wright had other ideas, he decided to design the home over the waterfall, making it part of the home itself. He also incorporated the large boulders that were spread throughout.

The building of the home turned out to be a constant challenge for all involved. Wright and Kaufman had numerous conflicts during the construction. Kaufman at one point had hired engineers to give him a report on the structure of the property. After receiving the reports Wright threatened to leave the project, eventually the reports were buried inside of a stone wall within the home. There were various arguments between the the crews on maintaining the stability and structural support of the home. Eventually the home was completed in Fall of 1937.

The home embraces the nature that surrounds it.  Windows line what should be walls, boulders become pieces of furniture, stairways lead to the stream below.  Open air balconies allow you to breathe in the fresh floral aromas, while feeling the refreshing splashes of the cascading waterfall below. Walls inside the home consist primarily of stone and window panes. Sunlight finds it way through large panes of glass while the stone encompasses the home like a cavern.

Wright designed angled windows that wrap around the corners of the home, and open outward to allow airflow and the sounds of nature to embrace the home.  A majority of the furniture in the home is built permanently into the structure, and was designed by Wright himself. Many consider it to be Wright's greatest achievement. Others believe its a giant money pit. Either way Fallingwater is a place that needs to be seen firsthand. It has been listed on numerous architectural achievement lists, as well as one of the best places to visit in America.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Beth Sholom Synagogue

Famed building designer Frank Lloyd Wright is known mostly for his work on private homes. He's accredited with having over 500 completed works. His most famous designed home is Fallingwater, located in Western Pennsylvania. Most aren't aware that besides homes he also designed the Guggenheim, and also a synagogue.

In September 1953 Mr. Wright was invited to design a new synagogue for the Beth Shalom congregation. Frank worked with, and had the advice of Rabbi Mortimer Cohen. Together they evoked a design that would give the synagogue the look of a mountain. In 1959 their masterpiece was completed and was deemed a modern day Mt. Sinai. It was the last work Frank Lloyd Wright had completed before his death. It's often heralded as the most expressive design of his illustrious career.

Though Wright is often considered the greatest American architect of all time, he was often too innovative. One of the biggest downfalls to Wright's designs is they often fail structurally. This is mainly attributed to the fact that he was so far ahead of his time. Engineers and builders had to use or create groundbreaking ways for building. Most of the time these ideas would work, a few times they didn't. At one point the Beth Sholom congregation had a kiddie pool in their sanctuary while they dealt with a leaky roof. The roof is what also makes this synagogue so unique. Due to it's transparency it allows natural light in during the day, while glowing at night from the man made electric. The synagogue was deemed a National landmark in 2007, and is one of only 4 in the country.

The name Beth Sholom is Hebrew for house of peace. From the look of the synagogue it seems Frank Lloyd Wright and the Rabbi Cohen were able to exude that right through their design.

Video of Beth Sholom Synagogue
Other nearby Outta the Way places

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

In the upcoming volume 21 zine, we'll be sharing our stories of whiskey, mystics, and men. "Da-da-da" Sorry couldn't help it! We're gonna take you to an old saloon that played a significant part in the revolutionary War. Many believe the General who used the tavern as his headquarters, may still be frequenting the pub.

After our fill of spirits we visited a few rather mystical places. A small town who still pays honor to their Welsh ancestors, with stone griffins, large cairns, and a circle of rocks, resembling a smaller Stonehenge. Then we were off to play the rocks, good thing we brought our hammers. At the park we visited, banging on the rocks with hammers is allowed, in fact encouraged. Each rock lets out it's own unique sound, some the normal thud you'd expect, others magically expel the sound of bells. Afterwords we got an inside and outside look at a Synagogue designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This inspiring temple was meant to evoke the look of Mt. Sinai. It's a marvel to admire whether it's lit by the natural sun, or when it's illuminating like a candle in the evening.

Lastly we paid a visit to two lost palaces to see what was left of two men's dreams. Two multi-millionaires whose dream homes may have cost them everything. One of these mansions is now almost lost forever, only a few garden sculptures remain. The other nearby home lies as a former shell of itself. The "house that art built", lies in an abandoned shamble. It's quite a sight to see such articulate beauty, fall into such a desolate state.


For more information on the aforementioned places keep following our blog, and keep your eyes open for the upcoming zine.