Living Wright
Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright can do more than admire his
architecture in Pennsylvania’s leafy Laurel Highlands. Along with touring
Fallingwater–Wright’s masterpiece, cantilevered above a waterfall–and
Kentuck Knob, another fine example of his design, visitors to the region
can stay overnight in yet another Wright home, the Duncan House in
Polymath Park Resort, 17 miles from Fallingwater.
An example of the Usonian homes Wright meant for families of
modest means, Duncan House is small in scale but incorporates many of his
trademarks: wood, stone, and glass; oblique angles; a dramatic
vaulted-ceiling living room; and a terrace flowing into the landscape of
trees and boulders. The house, designed in 1957, was moved from a Chicago
suburb to save it from destruction. It opened to the public for tours and
overnights in 2007.
Lodging is also available in two 1960s Usonian-style Polymath
homes designed by a Wright apprentice, Peter Berndtson. The 125-acre
Polymath Park Resort also includes an attractive Wright-inspired
restaurant, Tree Tops.
Duncan House, Acme, Pa.; 877-833-7829; sleeps six; rates begin at $399 for three guests, $50
each additional person; reserve in advance. Fallingwater,
Mill Run, Pa.; 724-329-8501; reservations
required. Kentuck Knob, Chalk Hill, Pa.; 724-329-1901; reservations required.
A City’s New Artful Ways
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has emerged as a vibrant arts scene.
Visionaries have been transforming rowhouses, warehouses, and factories
into galleries, studios, and living space for artists.
More than 100 galleries, museums, and other arts venues are
sprinkled throughout the city. A good concentration can be found on
Gallery Row along Prince Street, such as the artist-owned Julia Swartz
Gallery. To download a map of neighborhood art walks, go to
lancasterarts.com.
Artful restaurants are cropping up, too. John J.
Jeffries serves organic fare sourced from
area farms. Pour, a new restaurant and
wine bar, uses local purveyors for its cured meats and
cheeses.
Do as Lady Gaga’s entourage did when she was in town and stay
at the Lancaster Arts Hotel, a
19th-century tobacco warehouse reimagined as a funky, art-filled hotel
with 63 loft-like rooms. Rates start at $165.
This article appears in the April 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.
