UPDATE: Birdwing by Lloyd Wright to be moved to Polymath Par

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Mon Aug 12, 2019 1:21 pm

See my last post dated September 1, 2019 in this thread for the update.

https://patch.com/minnesota/minnetonka/ ... demolished

http://www.birdsongmn.com

JJM2 · Post by **JJM2** » Mon Aug 12, 2019 9:43 pm

Grr. 12 acres and they could not figure out a way to preserve this house? Feels like a trend now in Minnesota where monied parties buy a rare, accomplished work just to deface, or worse, tear it down. It's not like the name Wright is no longer the most famous name in American architecture. And, it's not like Minnesota is afloat in homes by world famous architects.

I was lucky enough to tour the house several years back and was impressed. Cool plan and dramatic cantilevers. Lucky me, unlucky everyone else who will not get the chance.

P.S. Looking forward to a serious critique of whatever those dozen luxury homes turn out to be. That's fair, right?

Matt2 · Post by **Matt2** » Mon Aug 12, 2019 10:12 pm

I recall a Lloyd Wright home in Playa del Rey was threatened some years ago..it's probably gone by now. I wondered what architect would sign on for such a project. Shouldn't there be some sort of AIA standards and practices like a Hyppocratic oath? Do no harm to great architecture?

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 9:46 am

What a shame. Looks in great shape.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:53 am

Nothing new about development woes in the Lake Minnetonka area. Northome, of course, was demolished, and the entire acreage sliced and diced. The great Ralph Rapson house for one of the Pillsbury families went just a few years after it was built on 11 acres. A Purcell & Elmslie masterpiece, the Decker House, gone without adequate documentation left behind. Romaldo Giurgola designed a more restrained mansion for one of the Dayton families in 1970, demolished in 2016 without a whisper.

A mansion with lake frontage is the ultimate goal of wealthy Minnesotans, and no lake is more desirable than Minnetonka. Unfortunately, onerous property tax rates (they ain't got no Prop 13 in MN) make it difficult to maintain the luxury. There are still several Jack Howe houses around the lake, and to see them start to fall would be depressing, but not surprising.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:31 pm

We toured a Jack Howe house, that was for sale, on Lake Minnetonka a few years ago. I was on a rather large lot and the house was not really visible from the street as it was close to the lake. Wonderful house. Totally original with no remuddeling. It was priced at about $2.2M. You could see the lake from every room. It was being sold by the original client's estate. The realtor told us that they had several people interested in buying it and tearing it down. I think they managed to sell it someone who valued it for the piece of art that it was.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:00 pm

I do not find this project listed or mentioned in Alan Weintraub's 1998 monograph ...

S

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Sat Aug 31, 2019 3:37 pm

Minnesota home linked to Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. to be dismantled, moved to Pennsylvania (gallery)

David

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Sat Aug 31, 2019 3:42 pm

Better to have left it where I was, but this is the best alternative.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sat Aug 31, 2019 3:57 pm

Aha. "Linked to" or "associated with" Lloyd Wright ...?

So, not in the canon, per se---but without further explanation---and still worth moving ? Bravo.

S

jay · Post by **jay** » Sat Aug 31, 2019 10:15 pm

The link at the bottom of the article routes to this more informative piece with photos:
https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/ ... cle_search

This bit is interesting:
"The home was built in 1966, and based on Minnetonka city staffersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ research, the original architectural plans for the home may have been completed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. But the plans Ã¢â‚¬Å“appear to have been made for a lot in EdinaÃ¢â‚¬Â� and then were modified by an unknown architect, according to city documents.

City officials donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t believe Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. reviewed the final construction plan modifications or oversaw the homeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s construction, diminishing the homeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s historical value. It is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or as a Minnetonka Landmark, and itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s unknown if it would qualify as a historic place, city officials concluded."

If the original plans of the house are available (the Edina design), will Polymath Park be looking to (re)build this home to Lloyd Wright's original idea?

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:24 am

UPDATE:
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... jr-to.html

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Sun Sep 01, 2019 4:00 pm

We Wright aficionados owe a great measure of thanks to Tom and Heather Papinchak - owners of Polymath Park - for all they have done and continue to do to save Wright and Wright-related structures from disappearing off of the face of the earth. May their blessings continue!

David

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:16 am

DavidC wrote:We Wright aficionados owe a great measure of thanks to Tom and Heather Papinchak - owners of Polymath Park - for all they have done and continue to do to save Wright and Wright-related structures from disappearing off of the face of the earth. May their blessings continue!David

AMEN!

JJM2 · Post by **JJM2** » Fri Sep 06, 2019 6:53 pm

Great news!