A rare Frank Lloyd Wright house hits the market

Fast Company

4 days ago

For architecture enthusiasts, a longtime dream may have just come within reach: A Frank Lloyd Wright home just hit the market, and it could be yours for a cool $2.5 million.
The home, located in Jackson, Mississippi, was designed by Wright in 1948—when the late architect was 81—for a local oil speculator named J. Willis Hughes and his family. Originally called the Hughes House, the home has since adopted the nickname 'Fountainhead,' courtesy of an elaborate backyard water feature and pool. (Wright was also said to have served as inspiration for Ayn Rand when she wrote her classic novel of the same name.) The three-bedroom home has more than 3,500 square feet of interior space and a scenic view from its position tucked into the wooded hillside. And, while Fountainhead may boast a hefty price tag today, it was originally made to be affordable.
The home is one of just around 60 houses that are considered ' Usonian,' a style created and coined by Wright in the 1940s and '50s. Usonian homes were Wright's answer to the postwar era: Designed to be accessible to the American middle class, they tend to make use of simple layouts, open floor plans, and natural materials. Given that Wright's total portfolio of designs includes more than 1,000 buildings, this style is now considered quite rare.
When approaching the home's design, Wright took his cues from the surrounding environment. The contours of the building site determined the home's parallelogram form, which is characterized by a multitude of low, horizontal leading lines. Furnishings like sofas, tables, beds, and dressers are all seamlessly built into the home's auburn wood walls.
'The parallelogram design is etched in the floors, and dictates the placement of walls, the size of the doors, and the shape of the spaces,' the home's listing on Sotheby's International reads. It goes on to note that Fountainhead was built with no stud walls in the house, no Sheetrock, brick, tile, or paint and 'boasts of exquisite, exceptionally durable Heart Tidewater Red Cypress wood for the walls and ceilings.'
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the house saw some fairly significant wear and tear during the 25 years that it served as the Hughes family residence. However, the most recent owner, architect Robert Parker Adams, alongside his former wife, Mary, devoted years to restoring the home to its former glory. Adams has lived at the property since 1979.
'I've been here 40-something years; I've had my experience,' Adams told The Journal, adding that he hopes to share his experience and knowledge with the next owner.