Yesterday we added to our Frank Lloyd Wright list with a field trip to Penwern on Delavan Lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin. The tour was sponsored by the lifelong learning division of the College of Lake County. We met at the Southlake Campus where Mark Hertzberg, the tour guide, told us about the history of the estate and FLW's other commissions at Delavan. Mark is a FLW expert whose book about Penwern will be published next year. It was his connection that got us entry because Penwern is privately-owned and not open to the public.
Fred B. Jones (1858-1933) was president of Adams & Westlake, manufacturers of railroad lanterns. In 1900 he and four business associates purchased property at Delavan Lake and commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design their lakeside "cottages." Penwern is a Welsh word meaning (most likely) "at the head of the field," or "at the head of the alder tree," perhaps a place-name from Wright's family. (Though wouldn't the client name the house?) Jones, a lifelong bachelor, entertained frequently at Penwern.
There have been four owners since Jones' time. The current owners,
John and Susan Major , bought the estate in 1994 and have been restoring it ever since.
There are four buildings on the property: the gate house, the stable, the main house, and the boathouse. We were able to go inside the gatehouse (where the caretakers live) and the main house.
 |
| Entrance lantern |
 |
| Cistern adjacent to gatehouse |
 |
| Gatehouse |
 |
| Stable |
 |
| Down the drive to the main house |
 |
| Entry is at the left of the arch. FLW liked "tunnel" entries. |
 |
| Porch, looking NW over the lake |
 |
| Looking back from the lake side |
 |
| Billiard room windows--commercial panes, not custom, per FLW |
 |
| Arch over the open porch |
 |
Boathouse |
It's pleasant to dream about summertime parties of long ago!
[You can read Mark Hertzberg's story about Penwern
here .]
Yesterday we added to our Frank Lloyd Wright list with a field trip to Penwern on Delavan Lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin. The tour was sponsored by the lifelong learning division of the College of Lake County. We met at the Southlake Campus where Mark Hertzberg, the tour guide, told us about the history of the estate and FLW's other commissions at Delavan. Mark is a FLW expert whose book about Penwern will be published next year. It was his connection that got us entry because Penwern is privately-owned and not open to the public.
OMG, Mr. Hillside would have been ecstatic to have such a tour. We have seen a LOT of FLW houses, but nothing like this!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful. Isn't it wonderful that people who want to restore and care for this fabulous piece of history now own it? I was fortunate to see Taliesin West a few years ago and grew up attending Humphreys Theater, both FLW buildings.
ReplyDelete