Robert Berger house, 1950: Small Diamond Module Houses

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Bernard Pyron
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Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:56 pm
Location: Rolla, Missouri
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Robert Berger house, 1950: Small Diamond Module Houses

Post by Bernard Pyron »

Early in 2006 the Wright Foundation Archives returned to me a copy of a paper on FllW houses of the fifties I wrote in 1959. I had lost that paper and a longer manuscript similar to it over the years. In that 1959 article I had quoted at length from a letter by Robert Berger to me in 1957. This aroused my interest once more in the Berger owner-built house, and also in some similar small diamond module houses of the fifties. The floor plan of the Patrick Kinney house, 1951, of Lancaster, Wis is similar, and both houses have those "fins" that extend out, and both have the central kitchen stack that rises above the roof line, while the living aea flows on three sides of the stack. The project for Ralph Moreland probably of the mid fifties to 1957 is also quite similar to the Berger floor plan. The Moreland house was to be built in the hills west of Austin, Texas. I have been in conact with the wife of a Ralph Moreland, but do not know yet if he is the right Moreland. I included a photo of the perspective drawing for the Moreland project in The Art Journal, Winter 1961-62, pp. 92-96.

The Ward McCartney house of Parkwyn Village, Michigan 1949, is also a small diamond module structure, but of concrete block rather than stone. It does not have the extending "fins."

I have photos and some text on this subject on http://franklloydwright.50megs.com

I have some questions:

Does anyone know of a published article on the Robert Berger house of San Anselmo, California?

Can someone confirm that the Ralph Moreland project was never built?

Do the Patrick Kinneys still own the house in Lancaster, Wisconsin?

[email protected]
While Wright was alive I photographed many of his floor plans and perspective drawings, as well as many of his later houses in the Midwest.
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JimM
Posts: 1665
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 5:44 pm
Location: Austin,Texas

Post by JimM »

I finally found the time to check out your link, Mr. Pyron. The Berger story is one of the most interesting since it shows the commitment it took to undertake such aventure. Although Wright never hesitated to spend all the money a client made availble, he reserved his utmost respect for the simplest of them such as Berger, who really "invested" in their homes.



Thanks for going to the trouble of sharing this information!
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