Rush Creek Village facts for kids

Rush Creek Village is a historic neighborhood in Worthington, Ohio, just north of Columbus. It was founded in 1954 by Martha and Richard Wakefield, who—along with architect Theodore Van Fossen—designed and built a community of 48 houses (later expanded to 51) based on Frank Lloyd Wright's principles of Usonian architecture. Rush Creek Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 14, 2003.

History

In 1946, Martha and Richard Wakefield of Columbus, Ohio, who had recently discovered the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, were inspired to visit the architect at his Arizona studio, Taliesin West. As they were leaving, Mr. Wright advised Mrs. Wakefield to "[g]o home, buy a Jeep and build a house for yourself. Then build a house for your next-door neighbor." She took his advice to heart, and in 1954 her husband, a builder, began working with Theodore Van Fossen, an architect and former student of Wright's, to create what would become the nation's largest collection of homes based on Wright's principle of organic architecture.

Rush Creek Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 14, 2003. Beth Savage, an architectural historian with the Park Service, called Rush Creek "a wonderful and intact example of a local interpretation of Wright's organic architecture philosophy."

Philosophy

According to the Worthington Historical Society, "[t]he idea behind Rush Creek Village is simple. It seeks a community in which each house is uniquely designed for the lifestyle of the owner, but also fits into an architecturally integrated pattern. By planning this way, maximum advantage can be gained from the beautiful sites, yet the privacy of neighbors can be respected; the individual needs of home owners can be met, and the parts can be formed into an organic whole."