Last week, Annmarie and I joined the whole Fivecat crew for the 6th Annual Castles of New Castle house tour organized by the New Castle Historic Society. It’s always a great show, but this year was even better.
In addition to several local historic homes, we enjoyed a walk through a 1960’s glass house inspired by Philip Johnson’s iconic glass house in New Canaan. White and black with glass walls from floor to ceiling, it was pure modern minimalism. Very cool.
As great as the glass house was, it did not compare to the Reisley House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in in the early 1950’s, this Unsonian house was truly inspiring. Every view, every detail, every space was intentional. From the turned up roof on the carport welcoming you home, the small scale entry, the tall ceilings of the living room, the 6 foot high fireplace (with NO soot on the ceilings), to the visual and physical connection to the outdoors, it was just amazing.
How about a modern yankee gutter system hidden in the roof with no down spouts (see photo above – yes, they’re yankee gutters)? We all spent several minutes trying to figure out where Wright hid the drain pipes.
Last April, the New York Times published a great article about the Reisley House.
Look for a guided tour of Usonia in October. Mr. Reisley personally guides a tour of the famed Frank Lloyd Wright community each autumn.
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Photo by Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times (no photos on the tour)
