Sobriquets For Wright Buildings

Wrightgeek · Post by **Wrightgeek** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:42 am

Have you ever wondered, as I have, about the origins and/or meanings behind the nicknames attached to some of Wright's designs?

If so, here is a link to an article by novelist T.C. Boyle for Smithsonian Magazne that discusses his 1909 FLW Prairie Style residence in Montecito, CA, the Channel Islands N.P., and his upcoming new novel. While the entire article is pretty interesting, what I liked best was his descrption of the property surrounding his home, which makes it very clear why the Stewart Residence is sometimes referred to as "Butterfly Woods".

Some here may already know the story, but I did not, and found it quite entertaining. Enjoy:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Th ... c=y&page=1

Palli Davis Holubar · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:08 am

With our combined energy and knowledge, could we begin another compiled list of building names?

FarmerBill · Post by **FarmerBill** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:00 pm

Here's a preliminary list of 40 residence names:

Austin (Greenville, SC) -- Broad Margin
Barnsdall (Los Angeles, CA) -- Hollyhock
Bradley (Kankakee, IL) -- Glennlloyd
Cass (Staten Island, NY) -- Crimson Beech
Christian (West Lafayette, IN) -- Samara
Davis (Marion, IN) -- Woodside
Friedman (Pleasantville, NY) -- Toyhill
Friedman Lodge (Pecos, NM) -- The Fir Tree
Gilmore (Madison, WI) -- Airplane House
Gridley (Batavia, IL) -- Ravine House
Hagan (Chalk Hill, PA) -- Kentuck Knob
Hanna (Palo Alto, CA) -- Honeycomb House
Hughes (Jackson, MS) -- Fountainhead
Jackson (Beaver Dam, WI) -- Skyview
Johnson (Wind Point, WI) -- Wingspread
Jones (Lake Delavan, WI) -- Penwern
Jones (Tulsa, OK) -- Westhope
Kaufmann (Mill Run, PA) -- Fallingwater
Lamp Cottage (Madison, WI) -- Rocky Roost (burned 1934)
Lewis (Tallahassee, FL) -- Spring House
Lindholm (Cloquet, MN) -- Mantyla
Little House II (Deephaven, MN) -- Northome (demolished 1972)
Martin (Derby, NY) -- Graycliff
Millard (Pasadena, CA) -- La Miniatura
Oboler (Malibu, CA) -- Eaglefeather
Pauson (Phoenix, AZ) -- Shiprock (burned 1942)
Porter (Spring Green, WI) -- Tan-y-deri
Price Sr. (Phoenix, AZ) -- Grandma House
Rayward (New Canaan, CT) -- Tirranna
Roberts (Marquette, MI) -- Deertrack
Sander (Stamford, CT) -- Springbough
Schwartz (Two Rivers, WI) -- Still Bend
Spencer (Wilmington, DE) -- Laurel
Stevens (Yemassee, SC) -- Auldbrass
Steward (Malibu, CA) -- Butterfly Woods
Teater Studio (Bliss, ID) -- Teater's Knoll
Thomas (Oak Park, IL) -- The Harem
Tomek (Riverside, IL) -- Ship House
Wall (Plymouth, MI) -- Snowflake
Walter (Quasqueton, IA) -- Cedar Rock

Can you think of any others?

Of course the "Romeo and Juliet" windmill tower in Spring Green has a name, too, but it's not a residence.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:52 pm

We have nicknamed the Lamberson House "Money Pit". Does that count?...

Reidy · Post by **Reidy** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:10 pm

When Wright designed a remodel of Ennis for the Nesbitts, in 1941, he called it "Sijistan."

Wrightgeek · Post by **Wrightgeek** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:16 pm

FarmerBill-

You beat me to the punch, but here is the list that I threw together this AM. My list is not limited to residences, so I have a few sructures that do not appear on your list, and your list has some buildings/names that don't show up on mine.

My list is also formatted differently than your, listed in order by year of design as opposed to your alphabetical listing. Maybe someone can merge the two lists we have come up with to create an all-inclusive and hopefully accurate roster of these given names?

Once that gets done, I think it would be fascinating to find out just who it was that assigned each of these names to said project (FLW, apprentice, client, others?), and to learn the origin and/or meaning behind each given name. No small project, I would guess.

BTW Palli, as you probably already knew, pretty much all you have to do here on Wright Chat is ask, and you will receive (well, at least most of the time anyway). And in case it has not yet occurred to you, this project might make a great case study for you to undertake once you have completed your work on perfs. What do you think?

1893: Lamp Cottage-Rocky Roost
1895: Wright Residence-Home & Studio
1896: Windmill-Romeo & Juliet
1900: Bradley Residence-Glenlloyd
1900: Jones Residence-Penwern
1901: Thomas Residence-The Harem
1902: Gerts Double House-Bridge Cottage
1904: DD Martin Estate-Magnum Opus
1907: Porter Residence-Tanyderi
1908: Gilmore Residence-Airplane House
1909: Stewart Residence-Butterfly Woods
1911: Wright Residece-Taliesin
1912: Little Residence II-Northome
1917: Barnsdall Residence-Hollyhock House
1923: Millard Residence-La Minatura
1923: Ennis Residence-Sijistan
1927: Martin Residence-Graycliff
1928: Desert Camp-Ocatillo
1929: Lloyd Jones Residence-Westhope
1935: Kaufmann Residence-Fallingwater
1936: Hanna Residence-Honeycomb House
1936: Roberts Residence-Deertrack
1937: Johnson Residence-Wingspread
1937: Wright Residence-Taliesin West
1937: Wright Cottage-Sun Trap/Sun Cottage
1938: Wright Agricultural Buildings-Midway Barns
1938: Tod Company Residences-Suntop Homes
1938: Florida Southern College-Child Of The Sun
1938: Fountain At FSC: Waterdome
1939: Pauson Residence-Shiprock
1940: Stevens Plantation-Auldbrass
1940: Oboler Complex-Eaglefeather
1941: Oboler Cottage-Eleanor's Retreat
1941: Wall Residence-Snowflake
1944: Johnson Research Tower-Heliolaboratory
1945: Walter Complex-Cedar Rock
1945: Walter Residence-Opus 497
1945: Walter Outdoor Firepit-Council Fire
1945: Friedman Vacation Lodge-The Fir Tree
1948: Walter Boathouse-River Pavilion
1948: Hughes Residence-Fountainhead
1948: MM Smith Residence-Myhaven
1950: Davis Residence-Woodside
1951: Austin Residence-Broad Margin
1952: Lindholm Residence-Mantyla
1952: Teater Residence-Teater's Knoll
1952: Sander Residence-Springbough
1952: Price Company Tower-The Tree That Escaped The Crowded Forest
1952: Lewis Residence-Spring House
1953: Price, Jr. Residence-Hillside
1954: Christian Residence-Samara
1954: Danforth Chapel-Minor Chapel
1954: Hagan Residence-Kentuck Knob
1954: Price, Sr. Residence-Grandma House
1955: Rayward Residence-Tirranna
1956: Wright Residence-Wausau Concerto
1959: Cass Residence-The Crimson Beech

Wrightgeek · Post by **Wrightgeek** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:22 pm

peterm-

I love your suggested nickname for the Lamberson House, but if I were you I might suggest trademarking that name quickly for use within the Wright community, as that could be considered a generic term applicable to most if not all Wright structures, as you very well know.

Reidy · Post by **Reidy** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:28 pm

"Little Dipper" was Wright's name for the never-finished schoolhouse, ca. 1923, adjacent to Hollyhock. The fountain for horses in downtown Oak Park was, not surprisingly, the "Horse-Show Fountain." I don't know if that was his idea.

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:43 pm

Nancy Sweeton noted to me that her brother, Richard and her father would sometimes answer "Skaelfoor" when asked if the Sweeton house had a name. They were joking of course, as the name is roofleaks spelled backward.
':lol:'

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:56 pm

Rather than "Hollyhock" or "Hollyhock House," Aline Barnsdall called her house "Hollyhocks," Residence B, the guest house on Edgemont (demolished) was "Oleanders" and Residence A on the north slope was "The Director's House," and was (to some extent, at least) designed by RMS.

The street "Northome" is on is Northome, from whence the name.

jim · Post by **jim** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:50 pm

Gill quotes Wright as referring to Ennis as 'the Glendower opus', being located on Glendower Drive, when discussing it with the Nesbitts.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:26 pm

Bravo. Farmer Bill must have had his list in his back pocket, ready for use -- or else he's hitting the diet pills again ! Nice (quick) work.

I think both the alphabetized list and the chronological one are useful. Don't know if we need one where the nicknames (isn't there a more genteel term ?) are arranged alphabetically . . .

S D R

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:33 pm

Airplane house? When was this home built?
A great list by far.... Willey- Gardenwall, or is that up there?

Palli Davis Holubar · Post by **Palli Davis Holubar** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:56 pm

WOW
any more among projects? Wasn't there a Smoky Hills or something?

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:27 pm

DRN wrote:Nancy Sweeton noted to me that her brother, Richard and her father would sometimes answer "Skaelfoor" when asked if the Sweeton house had a name. They were joking of course, as the name is roofleaks spelled backward.
':lol:'

My wife an I are in hysterics as I read this to her!

Good on ya, DRN, and the Sweetons, for that. It sounds Norwegian(?) when said out loud. Wonderful...