For more views of the place, go here.I bet you didn’t wake up today and think you were going to be moving to Mount Pleasant, WI but there is a Frank Lloyd Wright home that according to the listing is on the market for the first time ever for $725,000 with your name on it. pic.twitter.com/Tj3znspuYD
— Zillow Gone Wild 🏡 (@zillowgonewild) September 15, 2022
Click around and dream or talk about water leaks and how awful it would be to live in Wisconsin.
Posts
67 comments:
I'd love the house...if I could afford the upgrading to probably everything about it. Roof, HVAC (if that's still allowed in Western Civ), electrical, plumbing, foundational leaks, etc.
Plus- sitting snug between Chicago and Milwaukee doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feel these days. It's like a Bonsai run of crime.
Other than that, I like the name of the town.
I love it, and Wisconsin sounds lovely, but I'll just bet the roof leaks... Actually, I didn't see any water stains, and I've lived in a lot of houses with leaky roofs.
With so many places where you couldn’t get a one-room shack for $750,000, it’s hard to believe a nice decently sized architecturally significant house is going for that somewhere.
Every time I think how neat it would be to live in a house like that never-ending municipal and state ordinances come to mind. Also I imagine a horde of looky loos showing up whenever.
Buy it.
Click around and dream or talk about water leaks and how awful it would be to live in Wisconsin.
I assume the house is beautiful, but I was going to ask whether it was livable. However I think this sentence sort of answers the question. Also I would want to know the extent of repairs and renovations I would be able to make. Can I replace a toilet that regularly backs up with a Toto? Or would some architecture review committee block me and make me try to keep the old toilet, lest I spoil the great one’s Vision? Would I be allowed to upgrade kitchen appliances? People might laugh at these questions, but where I used to live, in Reston, Virginia, a homeowner was taken to court by his HOA because he painted his house the wrong shade of beige. I replaced a pair of (fake) shutters that blew off in a storm, and was threatened with a $200 lien because they were painted the wrong shade of dark red.
Sorry, but for me it Will always be falling water in PA or bust.
Great artist, horrible man. Seems to be a trend through history.
Bet it leaks. Would buy it anyway. Greater fool theory + smitten.
Beautiful on the inside, but the aerial photo suggests lots of outside maintenance has been neglected.
6 bed - 7 baths - 5000 sq ft - 3.2 acres for 725,000 is awesome. But I'll bet the maintenance costs are through the roof.
House is beautiful though.
Maybe some of us here could pool our money and start a MAGA-commune. We'll take in a few of the Venezuelan migrants about to get kicked off Martha's Vineyard.
Actually, my wife and I visited Wisconsin this year, and it was not bad at all. We were in Oconomowoc and Port Washington and it was very pretty country, and the people were very nice. Now, it was in the summer, so there is that. Probably less inviting in the winter. But not as nice as Tennessee.
The FLW house in my little community went on the market five years ago for 2.2 mil. Two years later it sold for less than 900,000. Judging by the amount of work the owners put in to get it marketable I'm guessing FLW houses are very labor intensive.
Blogger Tim said...
... But not as nice as Tennessee.
What's with Tennessee? Everywhere I go, I hear great things about Tennessee these days. I don't mention the place. I know nothing about it. The subject just seems to come up. In the last month, I've had two Irishmen and an Italian extol the many virtues of Tennessee in conversation with me.
The maintenance and modernization would be insane, as would be the heating bills. But man what an abode.
My high school best friend just moved from what she terms "the hell-hole" of the state of Washington (a short distance north of Seattle) to Tennessee. She loves it.
The area around Franklin TN is heavenly.
I once lived in an old, large house in Cleveland. It dated back to the early 1900s, and would have been considered high-end when it was first built. When I lived there, it was owned by a church, and was basically a boarding house for college students. There was a separate apartment unit on the top. It definitely felt like you were living in a semi-mansion, and that you were taking part in history.
But the number of things that were always going wrong - electrical, plumbing, boiler, leaks, rotting wood, peeling paint - undermined the experience. A modern home with up to date infrastructure and amenities is a lot cheaper, and a lot less anxiety-producing.
I once lived in an old, large house in Cleveland. It dated back to the early 1900s, and would have been considered high-end when it was first built. When I lived there, it was owned by a church, and was basically a boarding house for college students. There was a separate apartment unit on the top. It definitely felt like you were living in a semi-mansion, and that you were taking part in history.
But the number of things that were always going wrong - electrical, plumbing, boiler, leaks, rotting wood, peeling paint - undermined the experience. A modern home with up to date infrastructure and amenities is a lot cheaper, and a lot less anxiety-producing.
I once lived in an old, large house in Cleveland. It dated back to the early 1900s, and would have been considered high-end when it was first built. When I lived there, it was owned by a church, and was basically a boarding house for college students. There was a separate apartment unit on the top. It definitely felt like you were living in a semi-mansion, and that you were taking part in history.
But the number of things that were always going wrong - electrical, plumbing, boiler, leaks, rotting wood, peeling paint - undermined the experience. A modern home with up to date infrastructure and amenities is a lot cheaper, and a lot less anxiety-producing.
Wisconsin is a beautiful place. Parking money to weather the economic storm is tough, but a FLW house is a good one. We're buying Florida riverfront. Two acres, 3000sqf house and a boat house on a 60' bluff overlooking the St Johns River. Two things are certain - FLW isn't building anymore homes and God isn't making anymore achingly beautiful river front in Florida. Both will appreciate.
I've visited several FLW dwellings in the past few years. Without exception I've come away with the impression that they were cool to look at, but I wouldn't want to live there. The functionality of the living spaces sucks imo.
I was on a tour bus once, driving through historic neighborhoods of New Orleans, when a Californian asked the guide how much the large antebellum mansions might cost. When told, he sat back in his seat, amazed, and said, "I'll take two!"
Real estate is "Location, location, location," followed by everything else, unless the "Historic" designation has been applied, at which point you're dealing with not really owning your home, just maintaining it to other people's standards.
Wright's houses may leak and be expensive to maintain, but let's remember that he also designed incredibly uncomfortable chairs, and some damn odd desks to go in those homes.
More importantly, how far away is it from the Brat Stop?
Old and slow, you need to take another look. At least six pics show leak damaged ceilings, some quite significant.
Temujin said...
Plus- sitting snug between Chicago and Milwaukee doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feel these days. It's like a Bonsai run of crime.
It's a Mount Pleasant address (1425 Valley View Dr, Mt. Pleasant, WI) but basically, it's in a "nice" part of Racine, WI. That’s like being in a “nice” part of Milwaukee. Looks like it's tucked away in a cul-de-sac which backs up to the Root River. I’m sure in 1954 when Wright designed the house the area was much different; more rural real estate.
But, like Milwaukee, Racine (east of Interstate 94) is heading downhill quickly. Most of the new housing/communities and growth in that area of SE Wisconsin along the I-94 corridor are west of the interstate. Growing fast due to Amazon, Uline, etc…and available open space.
I don’t know who’s going to sink that kind of money into the place to live in Racine, WI.
It would be like relocating from Martha’s Vineyard to Venezuela.
There are visible signs of a leaking roof. That said, the architecture is so far out that it’s in. I can’t say if it’s true if this offering, but FLW designed the furnishings for almost all of his designs. Nice bonus, if true.
it’s hard to believe a nice decently sized architecturally significant house is going for that somewhere.
Yes, housing prices are all over the board. Demand and location. One drives the other....until enough people move to the cheap areas.
We had a talk on these threads a couple of months ago. Here in rural IA you can buy a house, that needs sweat equity, for $30-$40k an appartment at a nearby town of 10K population would cost $800 a month. A $800 mortgage will buy a nice place. But its not Nashville, or Fort Meyers.
The point is, a lot of the housing price is for bragging rights
My Nephew and his family realized they could literally live anywhere on the globe and moved the five of them to Vegas. But they could have had twice the house for half the price, plus lot cheaper cost of living across the board.
Everyone talks money, but most decisions ignore money, then rationalize why later. WE ALL DO
i'll pass on a piece of sh*t that leaks.
There's a old Bank in Grinnell Iowa, that looks very nice; of course, IT was designed by an Architect*, not a poofter
an Architect* Louis Sullivan, that man that FIRED Frank Lloyd Wright because he couldn't build roofs
Old house, three acres, suburban location, $750,000. Obvious teardown rebuild.
What's with Tennessee? Everywhere I go, I hear great things about Tennessee these days.
Which Tennessee? Eastern Tennessee (centered on Knoxville) is different from Middle Tennessee (centered on Nashville) and both are a bit different from Western Tennessee (Memphis).
Bet you could make a killing turning into an AirBnB for snobby people.
I've never read an article about a FLW house that didn't lead with all of the problems inherent in owning/living in one.
Do we have old Frank and Paul Simon to blame for creating the first Starchitect?
Does the roof of the Johnson and Johnson build in Racine still leak? Is it even there?
Looks like a good place to house asylum seekers as they wait for their asylum hearings. Step up Wisconsin!
I love the light. As an old lady I love the hand rails down the hall from the bar and the flatness of the floors. I love the Deco touches. Who doesn't love that greenhouse? But I must say, as an East Tennessee hillbilly, born and bred, the horizontalness of it all makes me viscerally uncomfortable. Seriously, it's like a low level of motion sickness.
I could see FLW's totally thought-out designs as perfect for interstellar ships. Or for retired law professors. Weren't you once a docent at another Wright house, Althouse? How do you figure the internet connection is? Go for it!
Old and Slow, Tennessee is an awful place. You wouldn't want to live here. When I first looked to move back I would scour the internet for homes in the mountains. My brother always seemed to advise against my favorite houses because "people there don't take to strangers." Fortunately I have 36 first cousins spread out all over the place so there were plenty of areas I wasn't a stranger.😉
WI is a beautiful place...close enough to pop into Chicago, dodge some bullets and watch a game at Soldier Field (terrible stadium) and then pop back to hang out at a lake somewhere and suck down some brandy old-fashioneds...what's not to like?
The bonus is, I am usually the thinnest man for miles around : )
Don't even get me started on the Kringles...
I'd love it. I'm a fan of FLW - except for his low ceilings...
There are/were several Frank Lloyd Wright homes in my neighborhood of South Shore in Chicago. One was owned by the family of a girl I dated. It was lovely. I'm sure it can be had for less than that Racine FLW house. South Shore is now the most dangerous part of Chicago. Guess why.
The acreage surrounding it is amazing. After looking - there are some open high ceilings in various areas that make it nice. The property taxes are going to be very high
"I've visited several FLW dwellings in the past few years. Without exception I've come away with the impression that they were cool to look at, but I wouldn't want to live there. The functionality of the living spaces sucks imo."
Bingo.
Like some "artistic" furniture. Interesting, sometimes even lovely. But please don't make me sit there for any extended time.
Three acres in suburban Racine? Tear down and subdivide, put some LEED-certifiable, small yard duplexes or single family homes on the property. Call it Riverview Estates. Make bank.
RideSpaceMountain said...
Sorry, but for me it Will always be falling water in PA
I always thought it was honest of them, to name the house after the ceiling
Theone, I see we're on the same page. Better still. Propose tear down and replace with "affordable housing," The battle between the Historical NIMBYs and the SJW's would be epic.
As Duke Dan said, it would make a great AirBnB.
If I owned it, I'd want a small apartment to actually live in and a staff to manage the guest services and maintenance. It would be splendid to shamble around with my morning coffee or lounge in the afternoon with a good book.
"Weren't you once a docent at another Wright house, Althouse?"
There's an annual tour of FLW houses in Wisconsin. I've been a docent at least three times:
1. At the Jacobs II house in 2009.
2. At the Dr. Maurice and Mrs. Margaret Greenberg House in 2008.
3. At the Fred B. Jones Gatehouse in 2007.
Wisconsin is a beautiful place. Parking money to weather the economic storm is tough, but a FLW house is a good one. We're buying Florida riverfront. Two acres, 3000sqf house and a boat house on a 60' bluff overlooking the St Johns River. Two things are certain - FLW isn't building anymore homes and God isn't making anymore achingly beautiful river front in Florida. Both will appreciate.
Preach, brother. Posting from achingly beautiful banks of the confluence of that same river and its many tributaries.
Don't tell anyone else. Duval is a hellhole. Stay away. Humidity, reptiles, bugs. Big bugs. Lots of them. And traffic. It's lovebug season now. Go do a search on lovebug screen.
I grew up in a San Fernando Valley Eichler knockoff. The open beam wood framed slab on grade ranch style home survived 1971 and 1994 without a scratch. It flexed well.
This is the real achievement of FLW. His influence on mid century modern esthetics and the post war explosion of suburbia wealth in the US.
'I've been a docent at least three times:'
How did you do...were you decent?
Found the Zillow listing and looked over it. No one with school-age children will want to live there.
Ann @ 10:40 - very cool!
@mezzrow: We're running from Duval. We're in a good neighborhood there on the river in San Marco but the northside is turning into a shooting gallery. Rural and on the river is better. Shhhhh...but I hear the river shrimp are running.
@MichaelK,
"South Shore is now the most dangerous part of Chicago. Guess why."
MAGA-hat wearers?
"There's an annual tour of FLW houses in Wisconsin. I've been a docent at least three times:"
Madison has the wonderful Usonian FLW home of Dr. Rudin ex of UW- Madison's Math Dept. I wonder what happened to it now that he is regrettably deceased.
@HeartlessAztec: Got it. Understood. I wouldn't drive into the neighborhood I grew up in at any time of day. I'm a Westside boy. I'm on the other side of the river from you a little bit south, and my better half is tied to the 'hood she grew up in. It's working for me. It's nice here.
Lots of folks with lots of acres of tree farm are cashing out to the builders, aren't they? We'll see if the soon to be present events slow the action. Clay is full and St Johns must be running out of room sometime soon. It's going to be full all the way to St. Aug. They're knocking trees down in Nassau as fast as they can.
Wishing you a routine move and no surprises.
So far it's about 3-4 to 1 pro-Tennessee, and the only vehement 'con' is from a native who left. I spent my life on campus and a lot of pretty smart people from all over the globe--people who could live anywhere--find Memphis decent enough to stay in after retirement.
Personally I like the place, and my little half-acre (w/o oak trees!) is ideal as far as I'm concerned. YMMV.
The official PR slogan used to be "The Three Great States of Tennessee," which is surprisingly apt given the differences between the regions.
We visited Falling Water (and the Flight 93 Memorial) in '18. The house was beautiful but at munchkin scale and I couldn't live in such a place even if I could afford it.
How many kitchens does it have?
I like the octagram or enneagram on the living room floor, but I fear the last family may have used it for invocations of the Evil One and human sacrifices.
The Johnson Wax Building is still there. The Larkin Building in Buffalo was destroyed -- a crime.
The Ennis House in Los Angeles still stands and was used in films, like Blade Runner.
There is a pretty good documentary or "cinematic essay," Los Angeles Plays Itself, that shows how locations around the city were used in the movies.
Moved from the Bay Area CA to Wisconsin two years ago. Best move I ever made. I am not a progressive lib so no need to worry about me bringing bad CA voting habits to WI.
Some years ago there was an article in the Wisconsin State Journal about maintenance work at Taliesin in Spring Green. One of the workers was asked how it was going. He was working on a cantilevered deck outside. He said something to the effect that 'the only thing holding it up was Wright's reputation.'
Josephbleau said...
"Madison has the wonderful Usonian FLW home of Dr. Rudin ex of UW- Madison's Math Dept. I wonder what happened to it now that he is regrettably deceased."
Last time we were in Madison we drove on Whitney Way and you can kinda see the rear of the house on the east side of the street behind the homes facing Whitney. Still there, far as I know. So also the Jacobs house in Westmoreland, the other Jacobs house on the far west side, and the Robert Lamp house near downtown.
Thank you Lurker21. Johnsons Wax. Got it. We visited it once when I was in high school. Maybe for art class? I don't remember, but there were plastic sheets everywhere as they were fixing the roof.
They are beautiful homes to look at but I wouldn't want to live in one.
I'm starting tp wonder--due to reading "The Age of Wood" by Ennos, and his account of how much stone and brick structures that are built to last make use of wooden elements carefully hidden away--did FLW know any of that?
Post a Comment