Two previously unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright designs have been brought to life in Minnesota and Ohio, decades after their conception. In Stillwater, Minnesota, Cottage C, a 1958 guest house designed for Don and Virginia Lovness, has been completed, echoing an earlier unbuilt project Wright designed for his sister. The successful construction led to a companion home that aligns with Wright’s material and geometric language. In Willoughby Hills, Ohio, RiverRock, Wright’s last Usonian design, has been built on its originally intended site. Commissioned in the 1950s for artist Louis Penfield, the project was presumed lost until the original drawings resurfaced after Wright’s death. Preservationist Sarah Dykstra initiated construction in 2023, ensuring that modern adaptations remained hidden beneath the structure’s surface. These projects reaffirm Wright’s architectural legacy and demonstrate the continued relevance of his designs in contemporary settings.
Two long-unbuilt designs by Frank Lloyd Wright have now been realized in Minnesota and Ohio, bringing to life architectural concepts that remained on paper for decades. Constructed with careful adherence to Wright’s original blueprints, these homes reinforce the lasting influence of his work while proving that his architectural principles remain relevant in contemporary construction.
In Stillwater, Minnesota, Cottage C, a guest house Wright designed in 1958 for Don and Virginia Lovness, has finally been completed. Featuring a sharply angled overhang and a triangulated roof, the structure mirrors a 1948 summer home Wright had originally designed for his sister, Maginel Wright Barney, at Taliesin. Architect Tim Quigley, a board member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, notes that the project exemplifies Wright’s continuous exploration of geometric forms and evolving design ideas. Two friends undertook the task of constructing the guest house, meticulously following Wright’s sketches. Encouraged by the success of Cottage C, they later built a complementary home with a similar material palette and roofline, ensuring a cohesive architectural presence on the site.
In Willoughby Hills, Ohio, another unbuilt Wright design has been realized on the site for which it was originally planned. RiverRock, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom Usonian home, represents Wright’s final residential commission. In the 1950s, artist Louis Penfield commissioned Wright to design a house overlooking the Chagrin River. However, when a planned interstate threatened the location, Wright provided an alternative design. Following his death in 1959, the second plan was thought to be lost—until the Penfield family received a mailing tube containing the blueprints the very week of Wright’s funeral. Archived as Project #5909 at Taliesin, the plans remained dormant for decades. In 2018, preservationist Sarah Dykstra acquired the original Louis Penfield house, which included Wright’s rediscovered plans. Committed to maintaining authenticity, she oversaw the construction of RiverRock starting in 2023, instructing the team to implement any required modifications beneath the surface so the home’s exterior would remain true to Wright’s vision.
The completion of these two projects underscores the resilience of Wright’s architectural philosophy. By faithfully translating his unbuilt designs into physical structures, these builders have demonstrated that Wright’s ideas continue to be both adaptable and influential. More than half a century after his passing, his work remains a source of inspiration, proving that his vision still holds relevance in modern architecture.
Sarah Dykstra you are fantastic, thank you