Rosenbaum House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rosenbaum House
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View of the house from the rear.
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | 601 Riverview Dr., Florence, Alabama |
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| Built | 1940 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Usonian |
| Part of | McFarland Heights |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000492 |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 1978 |
The Rosenbaum House is a special home in Florence, Alabama. It was designed by a famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright. He built it for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum. This house is a great example of his "Usonian" style. It's the only building Wright designed in Alabama. It is also one of only 26 Usonian houses built before World War II. A Wright expert, John Sergeant, once called it "the purest example of the Usonian."
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History of the Rosenbaum House
In 1938, Stanley Rosenbaum and his new wife, Mildred, received a gift. Stanley was a professor at Florence State Teachers' College, now called the University of North Alabama. His parents gave them land in Florence, Alabama, and money to build a house.
Both Stanley and Mildred had read about Frank Lloyd Wright. They saw a story about him in Time magazine. They asked Wright to design their new home. This house became the only one Wright ever designed in Alabama.
Building a Usonian Home
The Rosenbaum House is an example of Wright's "Usonian" style. He wanted these homes to be affordable for middle-class American families. However, the first part of the Rosenbaum House cost $14,000. This was almost twice their original budget of $7,999.
Some problems came up after the house was built. The flat roof leaked, and the heating system did not work well. The Rosenbaum family also rarely used the special furniture Wright designed for the home.
The Rosenbaums moved into their new house in September 1940. The next month, photos of the house were shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This house was also where famous American film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum grew up.
Saving and Restoring the House
The Rosenbaum House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Rosenbaum family lived in the house until 1999. Mildred Rosenbaum then moved into a nursing home. This house stayed with its first owners longer than any other Usonian home by Wright.
By 1999, the house needed a lot of repairs. Water had leaked inside, and there was damage from termites. The Rosenbaum family gave the house to the City of Florence. They also sold the furniture and other items in the house to the city for $75,000.
The city spent another $600,000 to fix the house. They used the original plans from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation at Taliesin West. After the repairs, the city opened the house in 2002. It became a public museum called the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House.
The museum shows some of the original furniture designed by Wright. The restoration work won an award in 2004. Mildred Rosenbaum also received an award for her hard work in preserving the house. In her last five years living there, she gave personal tours to nearly 5,000 visitors. She passed away in 2006.
Unique Architecture and Design
The Rosenbaum House was the first of many Usonian homes Wright designed. It was based on his first Usonian house, the Jacobs House in Madison, Wisconsin. The Rosenbaum House was built on a 2-acre plot of land. It is located on the north bank of the Tennessee River.
Key Features of the House
The house is shaped like an "L." It is made from natural materials, mostly cypress wood and brick. It has low, flat roofs that stick out over the living areas and a carport. These roofs are supported by steel.
A special part of the house is its glass. USA Today said the glass makes it hard to tell where the inside ends and the outside begins. Most rooms in the house have their own door to the outside. The middle of the house has a "service core." This area is built around a large stone fireplace. Next to it is a study that is about 100 square feet.
The first Usonian design had 1,540 square feet of living space. But the Rosenbaums had four children, so they needed more room. Wright designed an addition for the house. This was finished in 1948. It added another 1,084 square feet in a second L-shape.
Recognition and Importance
The Rosenbaum House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also part of the McFarland Heights historic district.
Gallery
Photographs of the Rosenbaum House by Carol M. Highsmith
These photographs are from the George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
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Northern exposure, view from Grove Street.
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Eastern exposure, showing the rear patio, next to the "bunk room".
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Southern exposure, view from the river side.
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Northwestern exposure, view from Riverview Drive
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Living room, looking toward the Tennessee River. Furniture designed by Wright.
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Living room, looking west.
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Dining room. Furniture designed by Wright.
Additional photographs of the Rosenbaum House
These photographs were taken after extensive restoration of the home in the early 2000s.
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Garden created by the Rosenbaums and not designed by Wright.
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Living room.
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Front door.
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Hallway, featuring Wright-designed lighting.
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Wright-designed chair, constructed from plywood.
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Living room bookshelves.
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Hallway, showing storage cabinets.
See also
In Spanish: Rosenbaum House para niños
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lauderdale County, Alabama
