Louis Penfield House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Louis A. Penfield House
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2203 River Rd., Willoughby Hills, Ohio |
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| Built | 1955 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001622 |
| Added to NRHP | February 7, 1997 |
The Louis Penfield House is a unique house designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is located in Willoughby Hills, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. This house is one of nine "Usonian" homes that Wright built in Ohio.
Contents
What is a Usonian Home?
A Usonian home is a special type of house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. These homes were meant to be affordable and practical for middle-income families. They often featured open living spaces, natural materials, and a strong connection to the outdoors.
A House Built for a Tall Man
Louis Penfield, who was a painter and knew Frank Lloyd Wright, asked the architect to design a house for him. Louis was very tall, about 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) tall! Because of this, the house, built in 1955, has unusually high doorways. This was special because Wright usually preferred lower entryways in his designs.
Unique Features of the Penfield House
The Penfield House looks quite long and thin compared to most houses. It has some really cool features:
- A "floating staircase" that seems to hang in the air, supported by beams in the ceiling.
- A narrow entryway that opens into the main living space.
- Many walls are made almost entirely of windows. One of these walls gives an amazing panoramic view of the outside.
- The main colors inside the house are red-stained wood and warm, yellowish-brown (ochre) walls.
History and Restoration
After Louis Penfield passed away, his family moved out of the house. They rented it out for five years. Later, Louis's son, Paul Penfield, spent four years restoring the house. He spent about $100,000 USD to bring it back to its original beauty.
Since 2003, the Louis Penfield House has been one of the few homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright where people can actually stay overnight! It's a special chance to experience living in one of his famous designs.
- Storrer, William Allin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, ISBN: 0-226-77621-2 (S.365)
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Louis Penfield para niños
