Saturday, a couple of members of the PrairieMod Squad headed west to Quasqueton, Iowa to enjoy "An Afternoon with Frank Lloyd Wright" event and tour the Lowell Walter House. Read and see more after the jump...
We got up early and headed out towards Iowa in rainy weather, but by the time we got to Galena, IL, the sky had cleared and we could marvel at the beautiful Fall colors. We arrived at the VFW hall in time to visit a little with the day's presenters, Steve Sikora of Design Guys (and owner of the Malcolm Willey House) and Phil Feddersen (architect and Wright devotee). Steve's presentation was first, and he gave an amazingly detailed account of both the history of the Willey House and the painstaking restoration that he and his family undertook to save the home. Phil's talk was equally enthralling, with many rare images of Wright-designed structures as they we're being built (including the Walter House) and personal anecdotes about meeting Frank Lloyd Wright and working for Alden Dow. The lectures in-and-of-themselves were worth the trip and it was a real treat to have experienced them.
After the lectures, we drove up to the the visitor center for Cedar Rock and viewed the many basswood models on display of Iowa's Wright residences, made by architectural students from the University of Iowa. We then loaded up on a tractor-pulled cart and were driven down the lane to the house.
Pat Schmitz, Walter House site director, gave us a personal tour of the home and its boathouse. She pointed out all of the very cool details of the home, including the specially-designed furniture, fixtures, built-ins and other features that make the house unique. I was especially taken with the main living area of the house, with its sunken garden, roof skylights and encircling interior vines.
We left with a new-found appreciation for Frank Lloyd Wright's ability to both integrate a structure to its site so perfectly, while also integrating it in such an artful way to the people who lived within. We also we're made aware of the struggle to keep such a complex work of art preserved and available for the public to enjoy.
While overseen by the state of Iowa, the house is in need of funds to keep up with preservation efforts. After my visit and enjoyment of the house, I plan on becoming a "friend of Cedar Rock" to help in this wonderful and important effort. If you get the chance, visit the home, their website or contact them at 319-934-3572 and do the same!
All photos copyright PrairieMod™
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