My PA pen pal Kim told me about Kentuck Knob, a delightfully surprising masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright, three years ago after I first went to Fallingwater. I can't believe Steve and I finally made it here.

At 2,050 feet above sea level, Kentuck Knob (1956) sits just below the mountain’s crest, appearing as a natural extension of the hill itself. Expanses of glass and cantilevered overhangs effortlessly blur the line between interior and landscape. A Grand Usonian home designed on a hexagonal module, it represents Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture adapted for the modern world. Usonian is a mid-20th-century architectural style and design philosophy created by Mr. Wright to provide affordable, efficient housing for the middle class. He used the term "Usonia" as an abbreviation for the "United States of North America," believing it better represented a unique, democratic American identity than the word "America".
This was fun to see. Frank Lloyd Wright began adding his physical ceramic red square signature tiles to buildings in 1951. He first used the red square motif as a personal graphic symbol and signature on his drawings and stationery starting in 1894. In 1950, he commissioned ceramicist Jeanette Pauson Haber to fabricate the actual ceramic tiles inscribed with his "FLLW" initials. The physical tiles were intended to be placed only on completed buildings where the construction strictly adhered to his design specifications. Only about 50 to 75 tiles were ever made and distributed to select projects and favored clients, making them quite rare.
Isaac Newton Hagan (commonly called I.N.) and Bernardine Hagan approached Wright once they had seen Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann’s home, Fallingwater, seven miles away. After falling in love with their friends’ home, the Hagan’s knew they wanted Frank Lloyd Wright to design their own mountain backdrop dream home. Wright at this time was eighty-six years old and was working on several projects including the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. However, Wright agreed to design the house for the Hagans.The most amazing aspect is that Wright never saw the land before he and his partners ketched ideas for Kentuck Knob. In fact, Wright only intended to visit Pennsylvania once to inspect the building site, and would “rely instead on a topographical survey and a series of photographs.” I.N. and Bernardine were greatly disappointed when they learned Wright would not be coming regularly to visit the progress that the house had been making during the design phase or construction. Wright had Mr. and Mrs. Hagan visit some of the houses he had designed in Wisconsin to get ideas of what they wanted for Kentuck Knob. My gosh, the man was 86! What could they expect?

A great believer in the intrinsic beauty of natural materials, Wright combines the native fieldstone with tidewater red cypress to create a chorus of color and texture that replicates the surrounding landscape. The design of this product was adapted from the perforated boards in the house which infuse the house with individuality, allow in light, and create interesting shadows and light patterns in the interior of the house which change as the sun moves across the sky without the expense of art glass.
In the Hagan-era, this postcard was made. The chairs are focused on an "invisible window" crafted for Bernardine. This features a massive 8-foot by 4-foot sheet of polished plate glass mitered seamlessly and directly into the corner stone masonry and wood ceiling. Because there is no visible wood or metal frame, it functions as a literal transparent screen, blurring the distinction between the interior greatroom and the outdoor Appalachian forest. In real life it was beautiful.
Wright usually designed furniture to blend with the architecture, rather than for comfort. This arrangement seems to have fit both criteria. Kentuck Knob has some of the most outstanding architecture and also some of the most difficult to build. The whole house only has two 90 degree angles, which are constructed in the bathrooms around the showers. Otherwise, the house is made solely of 30, 60, and 120 degree angles. There were several debates and arguments between Wright and the Hagans over furnishings and at what angle the house was going to face. The house was finally complete in the summer of 1956. The Hagans were able to move in to a semi-complete Kentuck Knob on July 29, 1956, their twenty-sixth wedding anniversary. I.N. and Bernardine wrote to Frank Lloyd Wright about a year later thanking him for all of his hard work and sending in their final payment, 10% of the total cost.
The dining area opening to another terrace is one surprise; the view down the corridors toward the master bedroom is another. The kitchen — set behind the big living room fireplace — is a total surprise. It's a six-sided stone-walled room that rises through the height of the house and is lit by a large skylight. This is the massive anchor of the house. It may sound impractical, but outfitted the way Bernadine Hagan wanted it, it was a delight. I loved it.






The Hagans lived happily in their home for 30 years until I.N. Hagan's encroaching Alzheimer's disease forced them in 1986 to move from their isolated mountaintop. The house is now owned by Lord Peter Palumbo of Great Britain. He has preserved it and opened it for the public to see. Some 30,000 visit annually. We're happy to have been there. What a Frank Lloyd Wright experience!
Set within the grounds of Kentuck Knob, more than 30 sculptures and artifacts are displayed around the house and along the nearly mile-long Woodland Walk. Works by artists including Andy Goldsworthy (above and below), Anthony Caro, Wendy Taylor, and more.

We were not expecting to experience a piece of the Berlin Wall. The current owner Lord Palumbo, added segments of the wall to his eclectic collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures on the grounds. Wild.

Our reason for being in this part of Pennsylvania is mainly Frank Lloyd Wright. Today's visit to Fallingwater was the first of two amazing homes 'our favorite architect' built within a few miles of one another.

For those new to this home, Fallingwater is a world-famous architectural masterpiece designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 as a weekend retreat for Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. and his family. Edgar, Sr. was the very successful owner of Pittsburgh's Kaufmann's Department Store. He and his wife Liliane commissioned the home. Their son, Edgar Kaufmann Jr., had studied under Wright. At the time, Wright wasn't the shining star he once was. Fallingwater was a lifeline for him.

"Step inside one of the 20th century's most iconic spaces to see Wright’s breaking the box design concept, featuring original custom-made furniture, fine art, and a massive stone hearth where a natural boulder pokes right through the floor."

The tour guide really helped us realize the vision, "Notice how glass corners and doors vanish into native sandstone walls, filling the interior with the constant, soothing sound of rushing water."


"Walk out onto the famous concrete balconies that jut dramatically over the waterfall, echoing the horizontal rock ledges of the stream below."

The triumph of Fallingwater rescued Frank Lloyd Wright’s flagging career in his late 60s, re-establishing him as a visionary leader in American architecture. As one marvels at this exceptional masterpiece, one understands why. A visionary leader indeed.
And this is the money shot! Our favorite photo of the day.These 300-million-year-old Carboniferous period plant impressions, embedded in exposed sandstone ledge, were so interesting to discover.

My favorite were the Lepidodendron, known as "scale trees". These grew up to 100 feet tall. Their bark left distinct, diamond-shaped patterns resembling snake skin.

After leaving my niece's, our day was one of mostly driving with some fun stops along the way.

This was a must stop... America's #1 Fireworks Store (honestly, I never realized there was a competition). "Whether you're a first-timer or a backyard pro, Phantom has the resources to help you buy smarter, shoot safer, and put on the best fireworks show."
The selection was mindblowing!
This package would set you back $1299. That must be some kind of show.


The one that really surprised us was the $1599 Grounds for Divorce Assortment. "The biggest assortment from the premier fireworks manufacturer. 782 shots with 8000 grams of powder! Includes 9 Brothers Heavyweights 500 grams cakes (including a zipper finale cake), 6 of Brothers best 200 grams cakes, 2 of their best 350 gram cakes, and 24 hard-hitting Quest 60-gram canister artillery shells. No fountains, no toys, all aerial fireworks!"

I was intrigued by this Ignite Firing System. "Let's face it, running around with a lighter or torch makes it challenging to create the perfect show. Instead, what if you could design your show in advance with perfect synchronization, including shooting multiple fireworks from different locations at the same time. For showtime, press one button, sit back and watch your creation come to life. With IGNITE, you can get up your game and deliver the WOW with the latest in wireless technology."

We're in Frank Lloyd Wright country. I'm so excited.
Dinner was at Rustic Ridge in the heart of the Pittsburgh Steelers territory.

We ended our day previewing what's to come at Ohioplye Falls.


This is our home for the next two nights. It's a peaceful home base for all the amazement this part of Pennsylvania offers. Woohoo.