This is Fallingwater. It’s one of the most famous homes in America. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is his most famous building. It has been described as the building most suited for its location. It was built in 1935 while the world was still reeling from the Great Depression. It was designed by an architect that everyone said was washed up and finished. He was 67.
He had been employed by an influential family from Pittsburgh to build them a weekend retreat. They wanted the house built so they could see the two waterfalls in the stream. Wright walked the land, studied the surveys and searched for inspiration. Nothing came. After months of rejected ideas and frustrating empty pages he received word that the Kaufman family was leaving the city and headed to the land. They would arrive in a couple of hours and were ready to see his progress. He sat at a drafting table and began to draw. It was as if he was drawing a building from memory. The initial drawings were complete when the family’s car drove onto the land.
My first visit was in the summer of 2018. I had read about the building and was afraid that my expectations were too high. It exceeded my expectations. I loved the attention to detail, the subtle beauty and its integration with nature. Several people we met on our first visit encouraged us to return in the different seasons because they each revealed different aspects of the design.
This week, we got to see it with the leaves off of the trees. Again it did not disappoint. A soft blanket of snow covered the ground. Icicles hung off the rocks near the waterfall. Without the leaves on the trees it was easier to see how the layers of the home echoed the slabs of rocks in the hills.
Time and perspective make a difference. At 67, Frank Lloyd Wright created his finest work. When everyone counted him out, he created something of lasting beauty. Sometimes what we see is not the end of the story. Spring follows winter and new growth surprises and delights us. Don’t write the end of your story too soon. Don’t give up too soon. The best is yet to come.