Kentuck Knob + Falling Water

While the main reason for our recent Ohio-bound roadtrip was our friend Katie's wedding, Jim and I were both really looking forward to our tours of neighboring Frank Lloyd Wright houses, Kentuck Knob and Falling Water. Falling Water had been on my radar since college, and it's only a 3-hour drive from my hometown in Ohio. I'm not sure why I'd never made the trip, but I'm so glad that I finally did.

I hadn't heard of the lesser-known Kentuck Knob, but it's only 15 minutes from Falling Water and touring both made traveling a bit out of our way to the middle of nowhere totally worth it. Kentuck Knob was finished in 1956, designed by Wright after the Hagan family fell in love with their friends' house, Falling Water, and wanted a Wright creation of their own. The houses are very different in some ways, but similar in others. Both are built organically, honoring and integrating into their surroundings in interesting ways.

Kentuck Knob has only been sold once, from the Hagans to the current owner, Lord Palumbo in 1986. The house is currently filled with his various collections, including a few pieces of Wright-designed furniture from some of his other famous projects like the Imperial Hotel and Coonley Playhouse. The house sits on 80 acres above Uniontown in Western Pennsylvania, and Palumbo's sculpture collection is scattered about the grounds, which includes The Red Army installation and a piece of the Berlin Wall.

After Kentuck Knob, we headed to the star of the day: Falling Water. There were no photos allowed on our tour, but believe me when I say that it's breathtaking in ways I never thought a house could be. I had a basic knowledge of what to expect, but I was blown away by how emotional the house made me feel. It is just so incredibly beautiful and unlike anything I've ever seen. Our tour guide was really knowledgeable, and the tour is really thorough. Unlike Kentuck Knob, Falling Water is no longer privately owned—it was donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 by Edgar Kauffman Jr., the owners' son.

Although the forecast called for rain, the weather cooperated for most of the afternoon. It did, however start to pour down rain just as our Falling Water tour was ending, affording us the opportunity to see falling water on Falling Water. We didn't witness any of the leaks that the house is notorious for, although I suppose having to set out a few buckets would be a small price to pay to live somewhere so life-changing.