Samara (house)

Last updated

John E. and Catherine E. Christian House (Samara)
Samara (John E Christian House) Entrance.jpg
Locator map of Tippecanoe County, Indiana.svg
Red pog.svg
USA Indiana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location West Lafayette, Indiana
Coordinates 40°26′18.8″N86°54′59.6″W / 40.438556°N 86.916556°W / 40.438556; -86.916556 Coordinates: 40°26′18.8″N86°54′59.6″W / 40.438556°N 86.916556°W / 40.438556; -86.916556
Built1956
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Woods
Architectural style Modern Movement
NRHP reference No. 92000679 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 16, 1992
Designated NHLFebruary 27, 2015

Samara, also known as the John E. Christian House, is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The home is an example of the Usonian homes that Wright designed. Samara was built from 1954 to 1956 and was still occupied by the original owner, John E. Christian, until he died on July 12, 2015. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The lounge features extensive built-ins and bright colors. Samara (John E Christian House) Lounge.jpg
The lounge features extensive built-ins and bright colors.

In 1950 John and Kay Christian decided to build a home near Purdue University where they both worked, John as a pharmaceutical chemistry professor and Kay as the social director for the university. After much discussion, they decided that Wright was the architect who suited the ideals for their home. Not knowing how to proceed, John phoned Wright directly at his office and was surprisingly able to speak directly to the famed architect. Over the next six years they worked together both with meetings in West Lafayette, Indiana and at Taliesin, Wright's summer home in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The home was named after the samara, which Wright spotted on the property during his first visit. He worked a stylized design of chevron-shaped leaves throughout the design of the home including the clerestory windows, dining chairs and the living room rug. [3] These designs, nicknamed The Winged Seed, are located on the perforated upper windows and were also used on the Bachman-Wilson Usonian home. The house was built to entertain the family's college students; the living room was designed for 50 people. It featured a long couch and room for sitting on the stairs. [4]

The Christian family maintains the home according to the exacting specifications of its architect. As in many of the homes he designed, Wright specified or designed the entire environment, including the furniture, linens and landscaping. The Christians were not initially able to purchase all of the specified custom details; however, they made an agreement with Wright to continue adding to the home as their budget allowed. [3]

The color palette of furniture and design details is brighter and more saturated than other examples of Wright's architecture. This was prompted by Kay Christian who requested brighter colors against Wright's wishes. Wright was finally convinced by his wife, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, who insisted that she would help the Christians with the color design. [5] The result was a palette of vibrant lime green, magenta, and purple combined with more subdued shades of orange, yellow, and beige (see image at left). The home was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2015. [6] The nomination form [7] for the home provides a very detailed overview of the home with pictures and floor plans. [8] It was featured in a mid-2015 exhibit at the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center. [4]

In 2020 $1 million in grants was acquired to make repairs. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Lloyd Wright</span> American architect (1867–1959)

Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usonia</span> Term for the U.S. coined by Frank Lloyd Wright

Usonia is a word that was used by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright to refer to the United States in general, and more specifically to his vision for the landscape of the country, including the planning of cities and the architecture of buildings. Wright proposed the use of the adjective Usonian to describe the particular New World character of the American landscape as distinct and free of previous architectural conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Price Tower</span> High-rise building in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States

The Price Tower is a nineteen-story, 221-foot-high tower at 510 South Dewey Avenue in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. It was built in 1956 to a design by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is the only realized skyscraper by Wright, and is one of only two vertically oriented Wright structures extant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosenbaum House</span> Historic house in Alabama, United States

The Rosenbaum House is a single-family house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum in Florence, Alabama. A noted example of his Usonian house concept, it is the only Wright building in Alabama, and is one of only 26 pre-World War II Usonian houses. Wright scholar John Sergeant called it "the purest example of the Usonian."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio is a historic house and design studio in Oak Park, Illinois, which was designed and owned by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. First built in 1889 and added to over the years, the home and studio is furnished with original Wright-designed furniture and textiles. It has been restored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust to its appearance in 1909, the last year Wright lived there with his family. Here, Wright worked on his career and aesthetic to become one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore Baird Residence</span> Historic house in Massachusetts, United States

The Theodore Baird Residence, also known as Baird House, is a suburban house designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and located at 38 Shays Street in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the only Wright design in Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanna–Honeycomb House</span> Historic house in California, United States

The Hanna–Honeycomb House, also known as simply the Hanna House, located on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California, United States, was Frank Lloyd Wright's first work in the Bay Area and his first work with non-rectangular structures. The house was chosen by the American Institute of Architects as one of seventeen buildings by the architect to be retained as an example of his contribution to American culture. It was recognized as a National Historic Landmark on June 29, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child of the Sun</span> United States historic place

Child of the Sun is a collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the campus of the Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. The twelve original buildings were constructed between 1941 and 1958. Another of Wright's designs, a Usonian house originally intended for faculty housing, was completed in 2013, and is now part of the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center. On March 2, 2012, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and together form the largest collection of buildings by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Heurtley House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Arthur B. Heurtley House is located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1902. The Heurtley House is considered one of the earliest examples of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in full Prairie style. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places when it was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 16, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar B. Balch House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Oscar B. Balch House is a home located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The Prairie style Balch House was designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1911. The home was the first house Wright designed after returning from a trip to Europe with a client's wife. The subsequent social exile cost the architect friends, clients, and his family. The house is one of the first Wright houses to employ a flat roof which gives the home a horizontal linearity. Historian Thomas O'Gorman noted that the home may provide a glimpse into the subconscious mind of Wright. The Balch house is listed as a contributing property to a U.S. federally Registered Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House</span> Historic house in Ohio, United States

The Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House, also known as the Tonkens House, is a single story private residence designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954. The house was commissioned by Gerald B. Tonkens and his first wife Rosalie. It is located in Amberley Village, a village in Hamilton County, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House</span> House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, commonly referred to as Jacobs I, is a single family home located at 441 Toepfer Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Designed by noted American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, it was constructed in 1937 and is considered by most to be the first Usonian home. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. The house and seven other properties by Wright were inscribed on the World Heritage List under the title "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright" in July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert and Rae Levin House</span> House in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Robert and Rae Levin House, also Robert Levin House and Robert Levin Residence, is a single-family home in Kalamazoo, Michigan and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. Clarke and Julia Arnold House</span> Historic house in Wisconsin, United States

The E. Clarke and Julia Arnold House is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home in Columbus, Wisconsin, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John and Syd Dobkins House</span> United States historic place

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1953 and completed in 1954, the John and Syd Dobkins House is one of three Wright-designed Usonian houses in Canton, Ohio. Located farther east than the Nathan Rubin Residence and the Ellis A. Feiman House, it is set back from the road. It's a modest sized home with two bedrooms, and one and a half baths. Its distinctive geometric design module is based upon an equilateral triangle. The mortar in the deep red bricks was deeply raked to emphasize the horizontal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore A. Pappas House</span> Historic house in Missouri, United States

The Theodore A. Pappas House is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian house in St. Louis, Missouri. The Pappas house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, when it was only 15 years old. It is one of two houses in St. Louis designed by Wright, and the only Usonian Automatic in Missouri. Wright designed it between 1955 and 1959 at the Pappas’ request, and Theodore and Bette Pappas built the house together with the help of day laborers between 1960 and 1964. The Pappas house is a rambling four-bedroom house, and after the Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House, is the largest of the Usonian Automatics built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duey and Julia Wright House</span> Historic house in Wisconsin, United States

Duey and Julia Wright House is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home that was constructed on a bluff above the Wisconsin River in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1958. Viewed from the sky, the house resembles a musical note. The client owned a Wausau music store, and later founded the broadcasting company Midwest Communications through his ownership of WRIG radio. The home also has perforated boards on the clerestories "represent the rhythm of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony Allegro con brio first theme." A photograph showing the perforated panels is in the web page on the National Register application.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goetsch–Winckler House</span> United States historic place

The Goetsch–Winckler House is a building that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, built in 1940. It is located at 2410 Hulett Road, Okemos, Michigan. The house is an example of Wright's later Usonian architectural style, and it is considered to be one of the most elegant. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and is #95001423.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John D. Haynes House</span> Historic house in Indiana, United States

The John D. Haynes House is a house in Fort Wayne, Indiana, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The house is a small and modest Usonian design in glass, red tidewater cypress, and Chicago Common Brick on a red concrete slab.

The Keland House, also known as the Keland-Johnson House, located in Racine, Wisconsin, in the United States, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954, almost 50 years after he designed the Thomas P. Hardy House in Racine. It is currently known as the Boyd Home.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. 23 January 2007.
  2. Wallace J. Rogers (2001). Frank Lloyd Wright's Samara Winged Seeds of Indiana. John E. Christian Family Memorial Trust. ISBN   1-931775-00-1.
    - Kelly Roberts (13 July 2015). "West Lafayette man, original Frank Lloyd Wright homeowner dies". WISH TV. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Cindy Davis Meixel (January 2014). "Building the Wright Dream". Mountain Home. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
    - National Park System Advisory Board. "Samara (John E. and Catherine E. Christian House)" (PDF). National Park Service.
  4. 1 2 Bleiberg, Larry (7 June 2015). "10 Great: Frand Lloyd Wright Homes". USA Today .
  5. George Pudlo (2 January 2012). "John Christian House - SAMARA - Frank Lloyd Wright, 1954". Wright Oak Park Tours. Mrs. Christian insisted on having brighter colors in the house that Wright originally proposed. Olgivanna Wright finally convinced Wright to adjust the color palette by offering her assistance to Mrs. Christian with hue.
  6. "Secretary Jewell, Director Jarvis Announce Five New National Historic Landmarks Highlighting America's Diverse Heritage". U.S. Department of the Interior. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  7. "National Historic Landmark Nomination" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  8. "Spring 2014 Landmarks Committee Meeting and NHL Nominations" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  9. "$1 million in grants to repair Frank Lloyd Wright house in West Lafayette".