I visited the Fir Tree House only once, in 1950. An apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, I was on my way from Taliesin in Wisconsin to Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, with another apprentice, John deKoven Hill, who had supervised the stonework for the house. Wright had finished it in 1948 for a family who wanted a vacation home with four bedrooms, three baths, and a separate servant's room and bath in a remote valley in the Southwest. Also required was a service wing for the laundry, a water-pumping facility, and a stable—all for an original budget of $10,000, which was eventually exceeded.
While the owners were very private, they welcomed us on that chilly October morning before they returned to their home in the Northeast. We were driving a sporty but elegant Lincoln Continental cabriolet'redesigned by Wright'and when we arrived we found a fire burning in the great living room's fireplace. The soaring space was phenomenal, the furniture specially designed by Wright was outstanding, and with the smell of smoke we felt we were in a great baronial hall looking out onto a wild, untainted landscape. The house sits on a gentle sloping meadow running down to a river, with a mountain, studded with fir trees, rising on the other side.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.