PA & NY 2023: Pittsburgh - Downtown Walking Tour, Point State Park, The Strip

To get a better sense of downtown Pittsburgh, we took a guided walking tour with the organization “Walk the Burgh” who also led guided cycling tours.  Our guide started with the history of the area, which was originally inhabited by the Shawnee and Lenape Native American tribes.  We heard about how the meeting of three rivers, the Allegheny, Monogahela, and Ohio Rivers formed a triangular spit of land designated as “The Point”, making this an ideal location for settlement as the waterways provided power, transportation and access to coal and iron ore.  As a result, it was heavily fought over between the British and the French in the 18th Century.  In 1754, Fort Duquesne was erected while the area was under French rule.  The fort was named after the presiding governor general of New France, the Marquis de Duquesne, whose legacy is still prominent within the region today with a University, an Incline and a private club bearing his name.  After many battles, the British finally triumphed in 1758, destroying the French fort and erecting Fort Pitt, named after British statesman William Pitt the Elder, after whom the city of Pittsburgh was also named.   We would see remnants of both these historic forts later in the day.  Pittsburgh also has a connection to the Lewis and Clark Expedition since Lewis spent time here in 1803 before launching his keel boat on the Allegheny River to meet up with Clark.

For the most part, the rest of our walking tour was more of an architectural tour as we were brought to one gorgeous building after another, with the names Frick, Carnegie and Mellon coming up time and time again.  We started at the Koppers Building, once the headquarters for Koppers Gas and Coke Company, a global chemical and materials company founded in 1912 and acquired by industrialist Andrew Mellon in 1914.  The 34-story, 475-foot tall Art Deco-styled Koppers skyscraper was commissioned by Mellon and completed in 1929.  It has a distinctive green copper roof and was constructed with Indiana limestone and polished granite.  As impressive as the exterior of the building is, the interior is even more stunning with marble walls, ornate elevator doors, decorative clocks, brass railings, art-deco styled chandeliers, a gilded mailbox and an enormous, multi-paned window above the entrance.

Originally the Union Arcade, a shopping mall with 240 shops commissioned by Henry Clay Frick and designed by architect Frederick Osterling in 1915-16, the building was purchased in 1923 and became the Union Trust Building.  Constructed in a Flemish Gothic style, the building features a mansard roof, terra cotta dormer windows and ornamentation added to the terra cotta and sandstone facades. At the top of the building are multiple “chapel-like” structures which camouflage the mechanical towers and act as a tribute to the St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Cathedral that used to occupy the site.  Inside we marveled at the eleven-story grand atrium with a breathtaking 40-foot-wide Tiffany glass dome, stained glass windows and a gilded mosaic ceiling in one section.  The royal blue carpet and lavender chairs add to the majestic feel of the space.

The Beaux-Arts William Penn Hotel opened in 1916, once again developed by Henry Frick.  It was hailed at the time as the “grandest hotel in the nation” and also the largest after an addition of another wing in 1929 brought the total number of guest rooms to 1600. The hotel changed hands multiple times and underwent many renovations resulting in the number of rooms reducing to 602 in the present day.  The exterior is noted for its three towers of red brick while the interior features Renaissance Revival design elements.  Unfortunately, we did not get to see it on our tour, but the hotel is known for the Urban Room, a grand Art-deco ballroom with 14 murals.  We did get to admire the beautiful, multi-tiered grand lobby with its decorative ceiling and chandeliers and Art-deco flooring.  A “hidden” bar in the basement of the hotel named “The Speakeasy” serves Prohibition-era inspired cocktails.  It is said that back in the day, the hotel staff invented band leader Lawrence Welk’s famous bubble machine.  Many famous people have stayed at the hotel including John F. Kennedy, and Bob Hope who proposed to his wife there in 1934.

Although we did not go inside, we saw several buildings that had interesting architectural features.  The Park Building was constructed in 1896 in the Beaux-Arts style and was one of the first steel-skeleton skyscrapers standing at 15 stories.  It is recognized from afar because of the 30 sculptures depicting kneeling Atlas figures holding up the top cornice of the building.  We spotted the Keenan Building (now Midtown Towers) from blocks away because of its distinctive red dome that was initially gold-coloured.  Built in 1907 at a height of 239 feet with 18 stories, the building was named after Colonel Thomas Keenan, owner of the Pittsburgh Press newspaper.  Along the sides of the building are bas-relief carvings of prominent figures of the time including the mayor George Guthrie and Governor Edwin Stuart, as well as historical figures such as George Washington, William Pitt and William Penn.  It was rumoured that wild parties and other scandalous activities were held in the space inside the dome, but these proved to be unfounded.

We passed by the Duquesne Club, originally a private members club founded in 1873 which did not allow women to join until 1980.  New memberships are only accepted by invitation/recommendation from existing members.  The club offers fine dining, social events, hotel and conference facilities and a fitness centre.  Entering the theatre district, we passed by the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts that is currently home for ballets and operas.  It was originally the Stanley Theatre, a grand movie palace known as “Pittsburgh’s Palace of Amusement”.  Nearby, the Agnes Katz Plaza opened in 1999 and was named for a local patron of the arts. The plaza is decorated with a 25-foot high tiered water fountain with heated water that flows all year round, and eyeball-shaped benches designed by artist Louise Bougeois.  From this area, we could spot the Andy Warhol Bridge that spans the Allegheny River, leading directly to the Andy Warhol Museum, which we would visit the next day.  Painted on the side of a building on Smithfield St is a mural titled “Two Andys” which depicts Andy Warhol and Andrew Carnegie at a beauty salon, each with curlers in his hair, sitting under a hairdryer.  The mural was completed in 2005 and humorously depicts two important figures in Pittsburgh’s history.

Next we walked through what looked like a palace made of glass.  It was PPG Place, the headquarters of a company that was founded in 1883 as the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, manufacturing high-quality plate glass used in glass doors, mirrors and windows.  Over the years the company diversified, adding paints, chemicals, fiber glass, optical products, coatings and resins to their products. The PPG complex sits on 5.5 acres of land across a 3-block site and consists of a main neo-Gothic styled 40-story tower with tall, pointed spires, plus 5 other buildings all with black glass façades consisting of nearly 1 million square feet of PPG’s energy-efficient clear reflective glass.  In a covered alcove between buildings, we saw a collection of colourful dinosaur statues like the one we spotted when we first passed through the outskirts of Pittsburgh.  These were part of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s “DinoMite Days” fundraiser from 2003 and include a T-Rex named “Mr. Dig”, a Torosaurus shaped like a Heinz ketchup bottle named “Ketchupsaurus” and a Stegosaurus named “Philliposaurus” after architect Phillip Johnson who designed PPG Place.

Our tour ended in Market Square, a historic spot originally known as “Diamond Square” when it was first built in 1784. It was the site of the first Allegheny County Courthouse, jail and newspaper.  Today it is a central hub of activity that hosts a public market, the city hall, cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.  Events are held here throughout the year including farmers’ markets, holiday markets, yoga classes, concerts and festivals.  Some famous establishments include Primanti Brothers Restaurant and Bar, serving sandwiches piled high with French fries, coleslaw and other toppings since early 1900s and Nicolas Coffee, selling coffee blends and teas since 1919.

Another historic establishment located in Market Square is the Original Oyster House, established in 1870 and now the oldest restaurant/bar in Pittsburgh.  Since we both love oysters, my husband Rich and I decided to have lunch here.  The menu focuses mainly on fried seafood dishes including fried oysters, crabcakes and fish sandwiches.  We both ordered the Key West fried oyster dinner with potato chips that came with  either coleslaw or a side salad.  We started with an order of crab cake, which was good but the main attraction for me was the oysters.

The Original Oyster House has interesting and historic interior décor including a long counter/bar area that stretches the entire length of the dining area and features a large poster of boxer Rocky Marciano behind the counter.  There are many more sports photos of boxers, baseball teams, football players and a series of beauty pageant black and white photographs.  Access to the washrooms was interesting.  To get to the “Women’s Room”, I had to request a key from the cashier, and walk past the kitchen to a separate dining area.  The “Men’s Room” was in the main restaurant, but you had to wait to be “buzzed” in by an attendant behind the counter.

After lunch, we walked from the Market Square towards Point State Park, a 36-acre state park located around the meeting point of the three rivers.  To get to this point, which is also known as the “Golden Triangle”, we had to walk under the Interstate 376 Expressway which actually formed a nice arch that framed the view which we were heading towards.  Once we reached the other side, we saw the granite outline marking the spot of the old French Fort Duquesne along with a marker indicating the centre of the fort.  Over to one side is a Block House which is the only remnants of the English Fort Pitt.  It is now a museum which commemorates the French and Indian wars of 1754-1763.

A highlight of Point State Park is the massive 150-foot fountain whose water comes from a subterranean sand and gravel aquifer (rock that holds groundwater) 54 feet below the surface which was formed in the last ice age. It has become an urban legend that this water source is a mythical “fourth river”.   The fountain is a popular attraction which and draws tourists, strollers, cyclists and buskers to the area and is illuminated at night with white and gold lights.  Looking across to the opposite shore, you can see views of the Acrisure (formerly Heinz) Stadium and the Carnegie Science Centre.  We would get a closer look at these sites the following day.

We also caught a glimpse of the Duquesne Incline with a funicular that we intended to take a ride on, as well as the Andy Warhol Bridge.  From the point, we walked east along a section of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail which is a 24-mile regional trail running along the banks of the three rivers.  Our part of the trail led us towards the area called “The Strip”.  Along the way, we found a 300-yard long mural exhibit created in 2021 by artist Camerin “Camo” Nesbit.  Titled “Black Flowers”,  it features alternating images of flowers and monarch butterflies with portraits of notable Black Pittsburgh residents including Broadway/TV actor Billy Porter and rapper Wiz Khalifa.

Our last stop of the day was The Strip district, a vibrant and historic neighbourhood spanning multiple streets along a half-square mile area with the Allegheny River to the north, Liberty Avenue to the South, running between 11th to 33rd Streets.  It is known for its international grocery stores, produce stands, meat and fish markets, sidewalk vendors, boutique shops and eateries, restaurants and bars.  This area reminds me of Toronto’s Kensington Market.

Historically this was an industrial area filled with mills, factories and warehouses and you can still see remnants of this by the ghost signs faintly printed on the sides of some buildings.  The Senator John Heinz History Centre is located in The Strip and is easily spotted by nature of the Heinz sign with the tilted Ketchup bottle.  The museum showcases exhibits on the history of Pittsburgh innovations including the Ferris Wheel and the Big Mac.  There are also exhibits dedicated to Heinz innovations and artifacts from Mr. Rogers’ Neighbourhood.  Unfortunately it had already been a long day and we did not have the time or energy to explore this museum.  Maybe on a return visit..

PA & NY 2023: Pittsburgh - Shadyside Mansions, Shops, Restaurants

After completing our three day exploration of Frank Lloyd Wright designed or inspired houses, my husband Rich and I were ready to head towards Pittsburgh where we would stay for five days.  Enroute, we stopped in Ohiopyle, PA for lunch. Located along the Youghiogheny River, this pretty little borough is a popular tourist recreational stop due to its proximity to the Ohiopyle State Park and Ohiopyle Falls, a 20-foot water fall that provides fast-moving rapids.  In fact, the name Ohiopyle is derived from a Native American Indian word meaning “white, frothy water”.  Water sports including whitewater rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding and recreational fishing are a major attraction here, as attested by the numerous establishments renting water sports equipment as well as bicycles.  This is because Ohiopyle is also a great area for cycling as the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) runs through the area.  The GAP is a 150-mile rail trail connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland that provides opportunities not only for cycling but also hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

For lunch, we selected a small complex that includes the Ohiopyle Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe, Paddler’s Pizza and a “famous” hot dog shack irreverently named “Bite My Wiener” which we decided we had to try, just to say that we ate there.  The hot dogs were actually quite good as Rich went for the traditional “2 Dogs” which gave him two all beef hot dogs on a brioche bun with mustard and relish.  I chose the “Beefmeister” consisting of ground beef mixed with cheddar cheese rolled up and served on a bun with tomato and mayo (hold the pickle!).  There were several equally cheeky “wiener” related t-shirts for sale as well as some quirky art pieces, making this a fun stop.

On the main drag, we found the picturesque United Methodist Church which was constructed in a “Folk-Victorian” style in 1893 and features irregular rooflines, gingerbread detailing and decorative trim around the stained glass windows.  Nearby is an old train station dating back to 1912 which has been revamped into a recreation hub with modern rest rooms, water fountains, benches and bike repair stations.  The Falls Market General Store includes a restaurant, deli, ice cream shop, general store and a provider of camping supplies.  If we had more time, we would have taken a short hike along the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, but we were in a rush to get to Pittsburgh, so we settled for just walking across the bridge that spanned the river.

It took another hour and a half to drive to Pittsburgh where we spotted a colourfully decorated plastic sculpture of a dinosaur while we were still in the outskirts of the city.  We would see other dinosaurs in the downtown core. Perhaps this animal was chosen as the symbol of Pittsburgh, just like Toronto adopted the moose for its outdoor art displays and other cities have positioned plastic whales, bears, cows and other animals in public areas to liven up public spaces, promote tourism and foster community engagement.  We would be staying in Shadyside, an upscale neighbourhood located in the East end of Pittsburgh, which is known for its historic Victorian mansions, boutiques, shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.

For our 5-night stay in Pittsburgh, we selected Mansions on Fifth, a boutique hotel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Amberson Avenue that consists of two side-by-side stately houses which are historically significant.  The larger Elizabethan Revivalist mansion was the home of Willis McCook, attorney to the steel magnate Henry Clay Frick (whose museum we would visit during this trip).  Constructed in the early 1900s, the 20,000 square foot mansion featured the finest ironwork, leaded and stained glass, ceramic tiles and carved wood.  Around the same time, McCook also commissioned the construction of an 8000 square foot Tudor-styled manor house, now called the Amberson House, for his daughter Bessie and her new husband.  The McCook Mansion (renamed Fifth Avenue House) and Amberson House changed hands several times over the decades until it eventually became a hotel that offers 13 guest rooms/suites and 9 guest rooms respectively.   When I booked our room at “Mansions on Fifth”, I did not realize that there were two houses to choose between and just selected the most economical one.  As it turned out, our assigned room was on the top floor of the Amberson House.

At first I was disappointed that we were not in the majestic main house.  But the Amberson House had its own quaint charm.  It had a lovely sitting area on the main floor with a gilded mosaic-covered fireplace, beautiful hardwood floors and woodwork throughout and gorgeous stained glass windows on the second floor landing.  Our room on the third floor was massive with a king-sized bed, a desk and sitting area for me to set up my laptop, and huge bathroom with a roomy walk-in shower.

It turned out to be the best of both worlds for us to stay in the Amberson House while still having access to look around the ground floor of main house.  Our room in the Amberson House was a bit less expensive and was quieter since it only had guest rooms while the Fifth Avenue House had a pub on the second floor and ballrooms that were rented for weddings and parties at night.  It was relatively quiet in the main house during the day, so we were able to spend some time admiring the gorgeous décor.  We sat in the armchairs by the fireplace and inspected all the intricate details, walked up the grand staircase to get a closer look at the stained glass window on the landing and wandered into the various ballrooms and dining rooms.  When we checked out in the morning five days later, the clerk let us sneak upstairs to peek into the guest rooms and suites whose doors were open while the maids cleaning them.   Other than the presidential suite which consisted of two separate bedrooms and a sitting room, the guest rooms in the main house were not that different from our room in the Amberson House.

One evening during our stay, we decided to have a light dinner in the hotel’s Oak Room pub which offered craft cocktails and bar snacks.  Perhaps because it was off season and later in the evening, there was not much choice on the menu.  We ordered an artichoke crab dip with crostini and a veggie/hummus plate with pita bread.  I had an “Autumn Sunset” cocktail made from herbal and peach liquors mixed with orange and cranberry juices while Rich had a Gary’s Nut Brown ale.  This was not our most memorable meal, but it did allow us to enjoy the ambience of an early 1900s pub including the elegant oak paneling, exposed wooden ceiling beams, stained glass windows and grand fireplace.

The Mansions on Fifth are not the only historic or impressive mansions in the area.  Directly across the street is the Negley-Gwinner-Hartner mansion, built in the “Second-Empire” style around 1871 for lawyer William Negley who was a major in the American Civil War.  The house has ornate dormer windows, decorative brackets under the eaves, grey-hexagonal shingles on the lower half of its mansard roof, stained glass windows on the side, a covered veranda held up by doric columns and a second floor open-air terrace.  But what really stands out from afar are the decorative attachments on top the four chimneys on each corner of the rooftop.  From afar, they look like giant birds perched on the chimneys.  The property changed hands to Edward Gwinner in 1910 and Dr. Leo Hartner in 1963, each of whom partook in major renovations.  Declared a Pittsburgh historical landmark in 2000, the house remains a private residence.  More beautiful homes can be found when strolling along Amberson Avenue including one that looks like a Hobbit’s home with a slooping roof and an eyebrow window, as well as many with castle-like turrets.

The Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh in Shadyside was originally the First Methodist Protestant Church, and then a church for the Seventh Day Adventists before becoming a nondenominational church for an English-speaking Korean congregation.  The impressive structure was designed in Romanesque style by Frederick Osterling who also designed the Heinz Company Factories and Clayton House, the home of Henry Clay Frick.  The historic Roslyn Place is the last remaining wooden street in Pittsburgh and one of the few remaining in the United States.  The 250-foot-long street was constructed in 1914 using a technique patented by Samuel Nicolson in 1859 that involves laying down oak logs soaked in creosote, a distillation of tar from wood or coal that is used to preserve wood.  The wood blocks were less expensive and quieter than cobblestones, also providing better traction for horses and carriages.  In 1985, a $75,000 restoration project rebuilt the street using new wooden blocks and now the site is a historical landmark.

Shadyside is a vibrant neighbourhood would a diverse array of shops and restaurants, especially along Walnut Street and Ellsworth Avenue.  Many of the stores were closed when we walked around the area so we mostly peered through the windows and saw pop part, glassworks, a game store with a Pittsburgh-themed monopoly board, arts supply store, gift shops, clothing and shoe stores.

Although Mansions on Fifth offered an ala carte breakfast, the options cost more than we wanted to spend, and we also preferred a quick meal before starting our day.  As always when arriving in a new town, we found a grocery store where we were able to buy some fruit and snacks to eat during our stay.  This along with the complementary coffee often served as our starting meal and allowed us to have a more substantial lunch and dinner.  One day for breakfast, we went to Bruegger’s Bagels in Shadyside to get coffee and breakfast sandwiches.  I selected a tomato, bacon, avocado and egg white sandwich on an everything bagel while Rich opted for egg, ham, bacon onion and peppered cream cheese on a cheese and onion bagel.  The seating area was closed at the bagel shop, so we brought everything back to the hotel and ate our sandwiches with some grapes.

The day that we initially planned to visit the Carnegie Art Museum, we had breakfast at Crêpes Parisienne, a very popular French crêperie that was quite busy by the time we arrived, and we barely snagged the last table. That day I had a crêpe with tomato, spinach, mushroom while Rich had one with egg, sausage and cheese.  Both of us chose bechamel sauce for our crepes and shared a “Paris Fog” tea, which was Earl Grey tea with steamed milk.  Belatedly we regretted not ordering a sweet waffle, but the lineups were too long at that point, so we headed for the museum, just to find that it was closed that day!  This is not what the website said but they had just changed to their fall schedule and had not yet updated it.  Quickly rearranging our plans to visit the art museum the next day instead, we decided to have a second breakfast at Crêpes Parisienne.  This time we arrived just as it opened, both ordered salmon crêpes with chives and crème fraîche, and a liege waffle w chocolate sauce, strawberry, whipped cream.

While in Pittsburgh, we did most of our dining in the Shadyside district where our hotel was located since there were so many good options.  The first night that we arrived, we dined at Toyoca, a trendy Mexican restaurant and bar that specializes in tacos and tequila.  To start off, I ordered the drink special which was a Cantaloupe Margarita consisting of white tequila, orange liquor, lime juice and a homemade cantaloupe mix.  Rich ordered a Paloma Negra which had tequila, grapefruit juice and soda.  For appetizer we choose a Queso Fundido cheese fondue with Queso Oaxaca cheese curd, chorizo sausage, roasted poblano peppers and salsa served with nacho chips.  Then it was time for our taco mains.  We each ordered the steak taco with arugula, red onion, cilantro and salsa.   For my second taco, I chose cauliflower and portobello with diced corn, zucchini, bell peppers, plantains, arugula and salsa my second while Rich picked chicken and chorizo with cheese, red onion, salsa Verde and citrus mix.  Finally for dessert, Rich chose a Leche Cake which was vanilla cake made with 3 types of milk, topped with a chocolate sauce and I went for the Churros con chocolate with fried pastry sticks filled with caramel sauce, dipped in chocolate and paired with Mexican chocolate ice cream.  This was quite the feast for our first meal in the city.   The vibe and décor of the restaurant was really fun as well, with colourful Mexican themed sculpture and lanterns all about.

Another restaurant that we went to in Shadyside was Pasha Café & Lounge, a casual Mediterranean restaurant with a large, semi-enclosed outdoor patio and some lovely décor.  I was especially enamoured by the gorgeous Moroccan or Turkish mosaic lamps with the incredibly ornate colours and patterns that hung from the ceiling grouped together to form chandeliers throughout the restaurant.  We selected a table that was just beside the outdoor patio so that we could get the breeze from the open windows without having to deal with the sun that was still shining on a warm sunny late afternoon.

Reviews online raved about the Middle Eastern food at Pasha, and we tended to agree.  We started with breaded zucchini sticks and falafels with hummus.  I liked that each dish came with cucumber and tomatoes so that we didn’t need to separately order salad.  For mains, we ordered the lamb shish kabob and lamb chop which both came with rice, grilled peppers and grilled zucchini.  The lamb was so tender, perfectly seasoned and cooked medium rare.  We finished the meal with some chocolate baklava.

The only restaurant we frequented that was outside of the Shadyside district was Butterjoint, a casual restaurant that was just a few blocks away from the western border of that area, so still within walking distance of our hotel.  The menu was fairly eclectic with large and small sharing plates, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches.  For appetizers we ordered a bluefish pate with crostini and cornichon pickles as well as the small plate size of pan-fried potato and cheddar perogies topped with caramelized onions and sour cream.  Our mains were a porkbelly Sammy for Rich which he had with a beer and a crispy chicken sandwich for me which I paired with a “shrub blackberry, raspberry soda” which was sweet and fizzy, just as I like my drinks.  Rich really wanted to try the vinegar pie since it is a Pennsylvania speciality. I had a small taste and thought it was as unappealing as it sounded but at least it came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Butterjoint has an adjoining bakery which we passed by the next day and stopped in for a treat.  Once again wanting to try local specialities, Rich selected the Shoo-fly pie which consists of a pie crust with a filling mixture of flour, brown sugar, molasses, butter, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Not having the same need to try local favourites, I chose a millionaire’s square consisting of a shortbread base with layers of caramel and chocolate fudge which was more to my taste.

Our final eating experience in Pittsburgh was an impromptu lunch at Fujiya Ramen in Shadyside.  This was not in our original plans but intrigued us because there was always such a large lineup waiting to get into the place each time we passed by.  So even though we had dinner reservations for Butterjoint that night, when we walked by mid afternoon and saw that the place was empty, we decided to drop in to share a bowl of pork belly ramen and a plate of “Karage” (breaded) chicken pieces.  Both were really tasty, and I liked that the ramen came with more vegetables like broccoli than we would usually get in Toronto.  While we did not go to any extremely high-end or pricey restaurants in Pittsburgh, we still enjoyed all the meals that we had there and were glad that we stayed in Shadyside where there were such eclectic choices to pick from.

PA & NY 2023: Frank Lloyd Wright - Fallingwater / Kentuck Knob

Following two days in Polymath Park that my husband Rich and I spent with our friends Glen and Christiane, our exploration of Frank Lloyd Wright homes in south-west Pennsylvania continued with a visit to his most famous work.  Fallingwater, a name aptly coined by Wright  because it is built partially over an active waterfall on Bear Run River that flows beneath the house, has been designated a National Historic Landmark as well as a World Heritage Site.  This property is so iconic that there have been numerous parodies of its unique shape and form, made of a variety of materials including gingerbread, Lego, watermelon, and cans/plastic bottles. The building complex consists of a three-storied cantilevered main house that is 9300 square feet of which 4400 square feet are dedicated to open-air terraces, and a 4990 square foot guest house (including 1950 sq ft of terrace) with a private swimming pool that is connected to the main house by a canopied walkway.  On the other side of the guest house is a huge carport with room for 3 vehicles.

Wright was commissioned in 1935 by Pittsburgh businessman Edgar J. Kaufmann to design a weekend retreat for his family.  Originally named the Kaufmann House, Fallingwater is built on a property spanning 1500 acres that now includes a Visitor’s Centre, gift shop, art gallery, educational centre and several hiking trails with lookouts and viewpoints.  After walking along one of the trails to catch a glimpse of the house and cascading waterfalls from a distance, we made our way to the Visitor’s Centre to await the start of our guided tour.

Nestled in a forested area surrounded by mature trees, rocks and water, the shape of Fallingwater with its long, horizontal cascading terraces, mirror the waterfall flowing into a stream.  The structure “harmonizes with its natural surroundings”.  The exterior materials of concrete, rough stone, wood and steel are implemented in a way to organically blend in with the environment.  The colour palette of the building was limited to light ochre for the concrete and Wright’s signature Cherokee red for the steel and metal framing on doors and windows.

The ground floor consists almost entirely of one enormous open space with no interior load-bearing beams, expansive windows, and walls and pillars made from Pottsville sandstone that was sourced from the quarry on the property.  Known as the “Grand Room” the central feature is a stone fireplace with a gigantic circular Cherokee red kettle which can swing around to sit above the flames.  The Kaufmanns used it for heating up cider during the large parties that they would hold in this grand space.  On one side of the hearth is the space usually designated as the living “room” while the dining area is on the other side with the dining table, hutches and shelving built into the stone walls.  A portrait of Edgar Kaufmann Sr. hangs on a wall adjacent to the dining table.  Surprisingly the floors in Fallingwater are not made from the Cherokee red that we saw in the Usonian homes in Polymath.  I guess that was the “cheaper” version of flooring for the economy homes.  Here, the floors are interlocking flagstone slabs that give the impression of stones found in a stream, further integrating the interior with the exterior surroundings.

Multiple built-in seating areas are situated against the walls below large, frameless windows, often featuring furniture designed by Wright.  Much of the seating is extremely low to the floor, apparently to provide better views of the nature outside.  As always, Wright opted for form over function as I can imagine how hard it was on the knees to get in and out of these chairs and sofas.  Other areas form small “den” or “library” spaces with built-in desks and bookshelves.  This massive space takes the term “open-concept” to the extreme.  Glass doors lead out to multiple terraces that overlook the rocks and rushing water below.  On the longest and largest terrace sits a sculpture of a Buddha head.  One can imagine that there would be outdoor loungers and other patio furniture back in the day.  A unique feature of the Grand Room is a hatch with a retractable roof that opens up to stairs leading down to the river that runs underneath the building.  Opening the hatch allows natural air conditioning to flow into the room.  This was another way that Wright brought nature right into the house.  The grand room was the only indoor space that we were allowed to take photos during our tour, so the remaining photos are extracted from videos found on the internet.

Other than the Grand Room (which would be 5 or 6 rooms in any other house), the ground floor also contains the kitchen where the Cherokee red floor is finally found.  There are steel cabinets on the walls, a laminate work-top/island and modern appliances for the time including a really cool-looking AGA Swedish range Cooker, Frigidaire refrigerator and KitchenAid dishwasher.  Made for supporting the large parties that the Kaufmanns held, the kitchen is much more spacious and brighter than the ones we saw in Polymath.

Stairs leading to the second floor reveal a master bedroom with access to a huge terrace that is cantilevered over the ground floor terrace and contains an herb garden.  A slightly smaller guest bedroom has what looks like a wooden headboard and nightstand built into the stone wall.  Although there does not seem to be a terrace attached to the guest bedroom, there is still plenty of natural light from the large panes of windows against one wall and smaller clerestory windows above the bed.  From the second floor, a 17-foot-long bridge illuminated by skylights connects the main house to the guest house from the inside.  There is another outdoor passageway which we would see later.

The staircase leading to the third floor is unique in that one wall is lined with bookshelves filled with books and knickknacks.  The third floor has a much smaller footprint than the other two floors and much of it is used for a huge terrace that is accessed from a long gallery at the top of the stairs.  At the east end of the gallery, a small alcove was converted into a bedroom for Edgar Jr. so that he could enjoy the morning sun.  The space has low ceilings of about 6.5ft to “guide the eye horizontally towards the outside view”.  At the other end of the gallery is a study where you can see great examples of Wright’s innovatively designed “corner-turning” windows that are found throughout the house but especially in the west tower that runs from vertically along all three floors.  The windows are made from mitered glass without mullions (the vertical bar between panes) and are surrounded by steel frames.  When both panes are cranked open swinging to the left and right, it is like the corner of the building disappears, again integrating the interior with the exterior, letting in air as well as natural sounds from the river below.  Wright had designed a screen door to swing open next to the bank of windows, but Kaufmann wanted a longer desk.  Rather than change his design, Wright cut out a round piece of wood from the desk to make way for the path of the door.

For the last part of our guided tour, we walked along the outdoor canopied walkway to reach the Guest House, which is a standalone, self-contained structure with a beautiful living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.  From the bedroom is access to a huge terrace with an above-ground private plunge pool.  This guest house is larger and more luxurious than most people’s principal residences.

We were shown two final features of Fallingwater at the end of our tour.  The first was a foot-washing basin with a flow of trickling water that can be found in a low, cave-like passageway near one of the entrances.  This allowed shoes to be cleaned and hands to be washed after a hike on the trails before entering the house.  Finally we were shown the massive car ports which were designed with the same concrete and stone aesthetics as the rest of the house, thus blending in perfectly with the building as a whole.  Despite hating the idea of garages, this was Wright’s concession for providing an area to shelter vehicles.

The next day, Rich and I toured one final Frank Lloyd Wright designed house, which was another Usonian home like the ones we saw in Polymath Park.  Wright designed and completed construction on Kentuck Knob in 1956 for the Hagan family, owners of the Hagan Ice Cream Company at a cost of $96,000.  Kentuck Knob was built on 80 acres of land in the Laurel Highlands with the house sitting on the crest or “knob” of a hill, about 2050 feet above sea level.  After living there for 30 years, in 1986, the Hagens sold the house and property for $600,000 to Lord Palumbo, a property developer, art collector and member British House of Lords.  Lord and Lady Palumbo filled the house and grounds with art from around the world and created an outdoor sculpture garden with paths leading through the woods and around a pond.

The Palumbos opened the house and property for public tours starting in 1996 to help with the upkeep and preservation of the architectural gem which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2000.  A Visitors' Centre/Gift shop were built to support this endeavour and was the starting point for guided tours.  We spotted some interesting art works on the path leading from the parking lot to the Visitors' Centre including several very unique and impressive bird houses.  While waiting for our tour to start, we spent some time in the gift shop and loved so many things there. We ended up buying 6 placemats and a couple of trivets with Wrights designs printed on them.  I regret not buying one of the table runners that would have looked really nice over our black tablecloth.

Kentuck Knob is a one-story, 2200 square foot dwelling with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  It was built from materials local to the area including native sandstone and Tidewater Red Cypress.  It has a hexagonal stone core, cantilevered overhangs, extensive use of glass throughout, a coppered roof and a 3-vehicle carport, all designed to blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings.  Even from the outside, we could see the unique, intricate patterns cut into the red cypress frames that covered the clerestory windows found around the main part of the house.  We would get a better look at them once we entered.  Wright signed his name on a red plaque that is imbedded in a stone wall at the front of the home to indicate that he designed it.  Unfortunately, photography was not allowed at all inside the house, so I found some images on postcards and a souvenir book from the gift shop that helped me remember what we saw.

Kentuck Knob has a unique open design with almost no 90-degree angles adjoining any walls.  Like the other Usonian homes that we visited in Polymath Park, it has narrow hallways with low ceilings leading to big open spaces with high ceilings, again following Wright's compress and release philosophy.  In the Grand Room, which is the central living space, built-in furniture and bookcases line the walls and large glass panes including a glass door lead out to a long covered terrace.  We got a better view of the hexagonal shapes that have been hand-cut into cypress wood which covers the windows high up on the walls above the built-in wall units.  They are positioned high in order to allow the Northern light to flow into the space, creating patterns of shadow and light as the sun moves across the sky.  This cut-out pattern continues across several semi-enclosed spaces and even into the bedrooms.

Throughout the kitchen, dining area and terrace are hexagonal shaped skylights that allow you to look up into the sky and also reflect hexagonal light beams and shadows onto the floor.  The current dining table on display is made from oak and was custom-designed by George Nakashima to replace a simpler table originally designed by Wright.  As Mrs. Hagen loved to cook, her kitchen was given more thought than in other Wright homes.  It features 14-foot stone walls forming a hexagonal cell with a honeycomb shaped glassed-in skylight.

Following our tour of the house, we picked up the map that allowed us to take a self-guided tour of the sculpture meadow along the Woodland Trail on the property of Kentuck Knob.  We saw many quirky pieces including a wolf sculpture by an unknown artist, Jim Dine’s “The Plant Becomes a Fan” (1974) which feature a series of cast aluminum fans, a graffiti scribbled section of the Berlin wall acquired in 1990 and a giant tortoise by a pond created by Andy Goldsworthy.

Towards the end of our tour, we were led out to a clearing where we had a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding hillside.  Rich and I returned to this site after we toured the sculpture garden so that we could sit on the bench  and enjoy the view in solitude, just as the Hagens used to do.  As we returned back to our car to leave Kentuck Knob, we saw two more pieces of “functional art” which were a red 1935 London phone booth and an early 20th century Parisian cast iron “pissoire” or public toilet.  Although Kentuck Knob is not as well known as Fallingwater, it is definitely worth a visit not only for the unique decorative features in the house but also the beautiful grounds.

PA & NY 2023: Frank Lloyd Wright - Usonian Homes in Polymath Park

The next leg of our two week road trip through New York State and Pennsylvania would engulf my husband Rich and I within the world of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  We would be visiting five homes designed in his unique organic architectural style including his most famous creation, Fallingwater.  Our entire trip was planned around a visit to Polymath Park where we would stay one night in a house designed by a student of Wright.

Polymath Park is a resort located in a 125-acre forest in the Allegheny Mountains, about 1.5 hours south of Punxsutawney and an hour south-east of Pittsburgh.  It hosts four architectural landmarks that are examples of Usonian homes, which were mass-produced, pre-fabricated dwellings meant to conform with many of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design philosophies while being affordable to the middle class at around $15000 each.  In 1956, Wright designed three models of pre-fabricated houses that could be mass-produced in a less expensive manner than his traditional bespoke designs.  He partnered with builder Marshall Erdman, who intended to create multiple communities populated by these houses.  Usonian homes were relatively small (1800-2400 sq ft), single-story houses designed with simplicity in mind while still integrating with nature by using local materials including wood, stone and glass.  They were often L-shaped in configuration, featuring flat roofs, cantilevered overhangs that provide “passive solar heating and natural cooling”, and much use of glass with both large-paned and clerestory (above eyelevel) windows to let in natural lighting.

To limit costs, Wright used standard sheets of plywood, Masonite and drywall for the walls, and less expensive off-the-shelf windows and doors.  Interestingly, the Wikipedia entry about Erdman pre-fab homes indicate that only the major structural components including walls, floors, doors and cabinetry were included.  The buyer was responsible for providing the lot of land and the foundation of the property as well as all plumbing and electrical work.  By the time the smoke cleared, each Usonian property would probably cost over $30000 or almost double the average home price at the time.  To say that these homes were affordable for the middle class might be a stretch—upper middle class might be more like it.  The project never fulfilled its lofty goals and only around 60 houses were actually constructed.  Of the three pre-fab designs, the third one was never used to build any home.

The four houses currently located in Polymath Park include Duncan House and Mantyla House, which were designed by Wright himself, and the Balter House and Blum House, designed by his apprentice Peter Berndtson.  These four homes are available for rent and ever since I learned about this, it has been a dream of mine to stay at one of them.  The rates for two Frank Lloyd Wright houses are a whopping $675 and $825 USD per night (plus tax) while the ones designed by Berndston cost relatively less at $475 USD per night.  We opted for Berndston’s Balter House, which would expose us to the design philosophies of Frank Lloyd Wright while still giving us the opportunity to tour his two personally designed homes the next day.  The Balter House allows a maximum occupancy of four people, so we invited our friends Glen and Christiane to join us in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The prosperous Blum and Balter families were friends who wanted summer homes near each other in the Laurel Highlands. They contracted Frank Lloyd Wright to build them but unfortunately, he died before having the chance, so his apprentice Peter Berndston was hired instead.  Berndston originally planned for the Balter and Blum houses to be part of a community of 24 Usonian homes.  Only these two dwellings were built in 1963 and 1965 respectively.  In 2000, entrepreneur Thomas Papinchak purchased the two houses and the property surrounding them which he turned into Polymath Park, restoring the two homes to their original conditions.  In 2006 he purchased the Duncan House and relocated it from Illinois, deconstructing it piece by piece and reassembling it in Polymath Park.  In 2016, to save it from demolition, the park was donated the Minnesota-based Mantyla House from descendants of the Lindholm family after they could not find a buyer.  In 2019, Polymath Park acquired yet another Minnesota-based Frank Lloyd Wright home named “Birdwing” and is currently in the process of reconstruction and restoring it to add to the Polymath collection.  These efforts have possibly been delayed by the pandemic and soaring inflation since it has taken significantly longer for the completion of this endeavour than for the previous homes.

In addition to the houses which can be rented for overnight stays or toured during the day, Polymath Park includes the Tree Tops Restaurant which offers unique dining experiences immersed in nature.  The main “dining room” is a large, canopied outdoor deck where you can choose from a 3 or 5 course meal that includes a champagne toast and brief talk on the history of the resort.  Alternatively, you can dine in a private wooden treehouse accessed by strolling along a planked, tree-lined walkway to enjoy a 4-5 course tasting menu.  Blankets and heaters are provided for cooler nights.  The dinner options are quite pricey and require several hours to complete.  The restaurant was closed when we were there, which made the decision of whether to eat dinner there easy, but we probably would not have anyways.  Since we were only staying at our rental for one night, it was preferable to eat a quick meal off the resort so that we could have more time to enjoy our accommodations.

At the base of the restaurant is a small gift shop, café and visitor centre where we checked in and received the pass code that would open the giant gates to access the forested path leading to our rental property.  Reflecting the design principles of Wright, the building uses materials from nature including various types of wood and a bathroom sink made out of large stones.  The visitor centre was also the location where we would meet the next morning to take our tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses.  After our tour and before leaving Polymath, Rich and I bought a throw blanket to bring home as a souvenir which now lays prominently on our living room couch.

Nestled in a clearing within a forest of mature trees, Balter House is constructed with vertically placed boards of California Redwood and a stone pitched roof that helps with climate control and gives the structure an organic feel.  Large windows all around the exterior walls provide maximum natural lighting. Beyond the main living area is a covered, screened-in porch which is cantilevered, extending outward while propped up by stone pillars to account for the sloping ground.  A second stone porch can be accessed from the main bedroom and is covered by the sloped roof that extends beyond the main structure.

Walking into Balter House, you immediately see the signature “Cherokee red” tiled floors that are commonly used in homes adhering to Frank Lloyd Wright’s design principles. Also noticeable is Wright’s “compression and release” philosophy that dictates the areas where you shouldn’t want to congregate for long.  Areas such as hallways and foyers feel compressed due to narrow passageways, low ceilings and the lack of windows.  They then lead into a bigger, open spaces which provides a sense of release and freedom.  The long, narrow galley-styled kitchen with built-in counters, cupboards and drawers, as well as appliances on both sides is also typical of Wright’s homes.  Back in his day, the idea of the kitchen as a social gathering place was not yet in vogue.  Balter House’s kitchen does have a glassed ceiling to let in more light than the cramped entryway.  The major appliances all seem retro (circa 1970?) and the stove is probably just for show since cooking is not allowed, although we were permitted to store perishables in the refrigerator.  We also had use of a ProKing electric kettle and toaster as well as a Keurig coffee machine.

When we finally emerged into the main living space, the expanse and feeling of openness was magnified when contrasted to the cramped spaces that we just came from.  The resulting “release” was breathtaking, just as Wright intended.  Peter Berndtson learned his lessons well.  While the ceiling in the entry way is less than 7 feet high, the living room rises to 11 feet at the peak of its sloped ceiling with exposed redwood beams which flank two rows of roof-ridge skylights.  The glass along the ceiling adds even more natural lighting to an area that is already surrounded by two walls of large, single-paned glass windows which provide an unobstructed panoramic view of the surrounding forest.  The gigantic built-in stone fireplace is constructed from sandstone boulders harvested from a quarry on the property.  Although all the glass surrounding the space gives plenty of natural light during the day, there is little artificial lighting in terms of lamps or overhead fixtures, so it gets a bit dim at night.  While some of the furniture such as the large couch has obviously been replaced since Balter House became available for rent, there are still a few vintage pieces including a beautifully constructed table/chair combination that allows the chair to swivel out for use and swivel back into the table for compactness.  The coffee table and some of the armchairs seem vintage as well.

The feeling of being immersed in nature continues in the master bedroom which is oriented so that we could watch the sun rise behind the trees in the morning as we lay in bed.  It really was such a special experience to live in this space as opposed to just getting a brief tour of it, as we had in the past with Frank Lloyd Wright houses in other locations.  The windows are opened with a quaint system using a single portable crank that can be moved from window to window.  Our windows had screens on the outside so that we could get fresh air without allowing bugs in.  I’m not sure that Wright would have approved of this since he cared more about esthetics than function or comfort.  A desk and chair that is tucked into one corner of the bedroom provided the perfect setting for me to sit with my laptop, jotting down notes about our trip while marveling at my surroundings.

Table lamps with iconic Frank Lloyd Wright design patterns sit on both end tables and on the desk.  A set of glass doors lead from the bedroom out to the covered porch whose pillars and walls are built from stones similar to the ones found in the fireplace.  Like the kitchen, the ensuite bathroom has a very retro 1970s feel with its wood paneling and tan-coloured tiles.  The theme of the Cherokee red flooring, which is pretty much found throughout the house, carries on through the bedroom and bathroom.

In addition to the master bedroom, there are three more bedrooms in the Balter House including another fairly large sized one with a Queen bed, as well as two smaller rooms with single beds.  Regardless of the size, each bedroom has its own private exit leading outside.  These bedrooms contain intricate built-in furnishings that connect the floor to ceiling closets to a desk/vanity and shelving.  It is interesting that although there are enough bedrooms and beds for 6 people, the rental agreement only allows a maximum of 4 people.  This is possibly to limit the amount of wear and tear on the property.  The cantilevered screened in porch, with its slanted roof and windows on three sides, juts out into the forest giving the room a treehouse feel, albeit a very luxurious treehouse.  The built-in benches covered with large cushions provide an excellent space to relax with a book while enjoying the natural environment around you.

It would have been nice to be able to spend another day in this gorgeous home.  But even if we had the time and wanted to spend the money, logistically it would have been difficult since renters are required to hide their belongings and vacate the premises during the day to accommodate the guided tours.  So we just enjoyed our one evening and left the next morning, returning to the Visitors Centre where we would hop on a small van in order to tour the two Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Polymath Park.

The first stop in our tour was the Duncan house, one of the few Usonian homes constructed.  Originally located in a suburb of Chicago, Donald Duncan selected the Prefab design #1, a single-story elongated L-shaped dwelling with a pitched-roof wing containing three bedrooms, a flat-roofed living-dining-kitchen area and a large car port.  As one of the later “modified” versions of the first design, Duncan house had a walk-out basement which is very unusual.  After Duncan died in 2002, his house was in danger of being torn down by developers when it was purchased by Thomas Papinchak and painstakingly moved to Polymath Park.  Frank Lloyd Wright did not approve of garages since he thought cars were noisy, smelly objects that disrupted the natural aesthetics and harmony of his designs.  Begrudgingly he added minimalistic covered “carports” (a phrase which he coined) extending from exterior walls of his prefab houses in order to provide rudimentary shelter for vehicles.  Arriving at the Duncan House, we entered through a side door accessed under the carport to find the kitchen area.

Entering the kitchen area, we were immediately struck by the bold, beautiful colour of the countertops as well as the bright primary colours of the vintage Dansk cookware that hung from a ceiling rack.  Unlike the Balter House, the kitchen in the Duncan House is not a long, narrow, galley-styled and the floors are not the iconic “Cherokee red” although the countertops are close to that hue.  While the refrigerator and most of the cabinetry are laid out traditionally against two walls, the stovetop is positioned atop a central island that includes a seating nook with two stools underneath an overhang.  The oven is even more uniquely positioned as it is imbedded in an adjacent wall that is tiled with long flat stones.  Two large windows provide natural light and give the space a cheery, airy feel when the sun is out. The overall result is unique and stunning.

On the other side of the kitchen is a large, windowed area with a small table and four chairs that feel dwarfed relative to the size of the space. This seems like a setup for an informal breakfast area with a toaster oven, kettle, and microwave on the counter and a juice cart off to one side.  This room might have been originally designed as the main dining room since it could fit a much larger dining table.  Continuing on into the living space, there is found yet another slightly larger table that is more formal, positioned atop an area rug and against a wall with the same stone motif as is found in the kitchen.  The stone motif extends across the living room to form a large, masonry fireplace.  In this main space, the Cherokee red flooring finally makes its appearance, proving that Wright could not give up his trademark detail, even in less expensive versions of his homes.

As is typical of Usonian and Wright-inspired homes in general, Duncan House’s main living space features floor-to-ceiling glass windows, panels and doors.  The wall-less “living room” is delineated by a large stylish rug with a pair of what looks like replica Eames chairs and ottomans, since it is unlikely that valuable antique Eames furniture would be provided in a rental property.  To complete the living room space, there is also a glass and wood kidney-bean shaped coffee table and a funky bench-seating/end table piece that is so low to the ground that Frank Lloyd Wright would have approved.  Two red armchairs are positioned in a corner surrounded by glass, overlooking an outdoor patio furnished with wicker patio furniture.  While our tour did not take us into the basement, images on the internet show what it looks like.

Duncan House upholds Wright’s compress and release strategy with its narrow, windowless hallways leading to bedrooms and bathrooms.  The bedrooms all have large windows and often built-in wardrobes, cabinetry and shelving.  While we entered Duncan House through the back door from the carport, we exited through the front door and found the continuation of the Cherokee red flooring as well as the lowered ceilings in the entry way.

The second Frank Lloyd Wright designed house on our tour was named Mantyla, meaning “House among the pines” in Finnish.  It was purchased by the Lindholm family in 1952 and constructed in Northern Minnesota.  When the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy granted permission for the home to be relocated to Polymath Park, efforts were made to recreate the environment and view of the original site including planting more pine trees.  One of the larger Usonian homes at 2300 square feet, Mantyla is L-shaped with cantilevered overhangs and a carport like Duncan House.  It is constructed with painted concrete blocks and a roof clad with reddish tiles. Upon entry, we see the now expected red floors as well a wall made of similarly looking painted cement blocks with two passthrough openings that expose the small kitchen.  As with the Duncan House, the oven is imbedded into the kitchen wall, and the refrigerator and dishwasher are built into the cabinetry, as is the stovetop which sits on top of the red countertops.  The ceiling of the kitchen is lowered by a sizable bulkhead where pot lights are inserted.  As this seems to be another example of “compression”, I don’t think Frank Lloyd Wright believed much in the art of cooking.

The odd-shaped dining table is with built with interesting tilt as if it was crammed into the space that remained after Wright laid out his rooms.  One unique aspect about Mäntylä is that the home contains many of its original furnishings, ensuring you are seeing the home as Wright intended it to look, which seems to always favour form and style over function.  The living room is massive and stunning with high ceilings, an entire wall of glass panes looking out into the forest, built-in bookshelves and cushioned bench seating with clerestory windows along the top of the wall to let in more light.  The coffee table in the centre of the space is extremely low, as are the velour-covered foot stools surrounding it and also placed against the glass wall.  You would need very good knees to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house.

The narrow hallways leading to spacious, light-filled bedrooms follow the now familiar pattern of these Usonian homes.  From the master bedroom, there is a lovely view of the outdoor patio.

It was wonderful to explore and experience the Duncan and Mantyla houses, but we remain happy with our choice to stay at the Balter House. It gave us all of the esthetic feel of being in a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home but was also much more practical and functional as a place to actually live in, even for just one night.  As expected, our visit at Polymath Park and staying overnight was a special and memorable experience.