House Tour: Fallingwater

Fallingwater
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Location: Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Year: 1935
Visited: October 2012 and November 2019
Why it matters: Arguably the most iconic American house of the 20th century—Fallingwater is Wright’s masterwork of organic architecture, dramatically cantilevered over a waterfall.

Why It’s Iconic:
Few buildings so perfectly fuse architecture and nature. Fallingwater doesn’t just overlook a waterfall—it lives inside it, with sound, movement, and moisture woven into the house’s daily rhythm. Wright’s dramatic cantilevers, narrow passages, and seamless indoor-outdoor flow create an experience that feels spiritual. Seeing it in two different seasons only deepened its impact—it somehow becomes more profound each time. Fallingwater isn’t just iconic. It’s sacred ground for architecture lovers.

Jeb Score
Design ★★★★★
Preservation ★★★★★
Livability ★★★☆☆
Influence ★★★★★
Overall Iconicity ★★★★★

House Tour: Fallingwater

Touring Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, Fallingwater, is an altogether surreal experience. The house, literally perched atop Bear Run waterfall, is a marvel of engineering. Multiple balconies cantilever away from the house, extending as far as 15 feet with nothing but rushing water under them. Construction began in 1936. The Kaufmann family donated Fallingwater to the Western Pennsylvania Conservatory in 1963. Although breathtaking to behold, if you had purchased the home in 2001, you would probably have regretted the decision. Those impossible cantilevered balconies required a restoration costing $11.5 million in 2002. As brilliant as Wright was, the balconies should have been built using significantly more steel. In fact, a contractor working on the house actually doubled the amount of steel Wright called for in the plans. However, when Wright arrived to make an inspection, he demanded that the additional steel be removed and that the contractor who made the "error" be fired. Buying a home is the biggest investment a family will make. A high quality home inspection is crucial when buying a home. It's important to know the structural integrity of the home you're purchasing. Likewise, an inspection before a house goes on the market can prevent surprises in the future. For more information, visit http://www.fallingwater.org.