Kentuck Knob
Encyclopedia
Kentuck Knob, also known as the Hagan House, is a residence designed by the American
architect
Frank Lloyd Wright
in rural Stewart Township
near the village of Chalk Hill, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
, USA, about 50 miles (80.5 km) southeast of Pittsburgh
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2000.
, the western-most ridge of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains
. The house stands at the end of a driveway south of Pennsylvania State Route 2010. The home is recessed into the southern side of Kentuck Knob’s 2050 feet (624.8 m) peak with a mountainous 79 acres (319,701.9 m²) surrounding it that originally composed a farm. The Hagans, I.N. and Bernardine, planted much of the hilltop property with tree seedlings to provide both privacy and a wind break. The mountain summit offers a sweeping view of the Youghiogheny River
gorge as well as surrounding hills and farmland. The house is only four miles south of Wright's most famous house, Fallingwater
(1935), also in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands
region.
to build the home and capped it with a copper roof at a cost of $96,000.
At 86, and hard at work on the Guggenheim Museum
in New York, the Beth Sholom Synagogue
in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
and about 12 residential homes, Wright said he could “shake it (Kentuck Knob) out of his sleeve at will”, never even setting foot on the site, except for a short visit during the construction phase. This would be one of the last homes to be completed by Wright.
The crescent-shaped house curls around a west-facing courtyard
, blending into the contours of the land. The anchor of the design is a hexagonal stone core that rises from the hipped roof at the intersection of the living and bedroom wings. The walls of the flat-roofed carport
and studio burrow into the knob and define the courtyard’s eastern side. A stone planter terminates the low retaining wall on the west side of the courtyard, and it features a copper light fixture accented with a triangular-shaped shade. To the south, the house extends beyond the hillside on 10" thick stone-faced concrete ramparts. As with other houses Wright designed during this period, the Kentuck Knob plan is based upon a module system, in this case an equilateral triangle measuring 4'-6" to a side creating an outside 240 degree L-plan house.
Interestingly, Wright did not select the top of the mountain knob, which would have provided commanding views. He chose a more challenging and less obvious site immediately south of the knob. The house is nestled into the side of the knob, a common practice for Wright, allowing the building to appear organic and harmonious with the landscape rather than dominating it. The house was oriented to the south and west for the best light throughout the year, something Wright often did when not limited by a city lot.
, purchased 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of mountain land east of their native Uniontown
, the county seat. As friends of the Kaufmanns
, owners of nearby Fallingwater
on Bear Run, the Hagans asked their architect
Frank Lloyd Wright
, then 86 years old, to design a deluxe Usonian home for them. The house was completed in 1956, and the Hagans lived at Kentuck Knob for almost 30 years.
In 1986 Lord Palumbo
of London, UK bought the property for $600,000 as a vacation home. Since 1996, the Palumbo family has balanced their occupancy with a public tour program, a method of historic property management more common to their native Britain than to the United States.
The Palumbos added a sculpture meadow
to the site near the base of the mountain, where 35 sculptures by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy
, Harry Bertoia
, Claes Oldenburg
, Ray Smith
, Michael Warren
and Sir Anthony Caro
are displayed. Found art pieces include a French pissoir
, red British telephone boxes, and a large, vertically upright concrete slab from the Berlin Wall
. The meadow is reached by a walking path through woods from either the house or the visitors center.
The name Kentuck Knob is credited to the late eighteenth-century settler David Askins, who intended to move from Western Pennsylvania to Kentucky
, but then reconsidered and remained at this very property, naming his tract of land Little Kentuck. It subsequently became known the Kentuck District of Stewart Township, one of the county's several rural mountainous townships. Ever since the summit of the property has been called Kentuck Knob.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
in rural Stewart Township
Stewart Township, Pennsylvania
Stewart Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 743 at the 2000 census....
near the village of Chalk Hill, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, USA, about 50 miles (80.5 km) southeast of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000.
Overview
Kentuck Knob is a one-story dwelling situated on Chestnut RidgeChestnut Ridge
Chestnut Ridge may refer to:* Chestnut Ridge, Bedford County, a mountain ridge in Bedford County, Pennsylvania* Chestnut Ridge, New York, a village in the United States* Chestnut Ridge Park, in Orchard Park, New York...
, the western-most ridge of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
. The house stands at the end of a driveway south of Pennsylvania State Route 2010. The home is recessed into the southern side of Kentuck Knob’s 2050 feet (624.8 m) peak with a mountainous 79 acres (319,701.9 m²) surrounding it that originally composed a farm. The Hagans, I.N. and Bernardine, planted much of the hilltop property with tree seedlings to provide both privacy and a wind break. The mountain summit offers a sweeping view of the Youghiogheny River
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
gorge as well as surrounding hills and farmland. The house is only four miles south of Wright's most famous house, Fallingwater
Fallingwater
Fallingwater or Kaufmann Residence is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh...
(1935), also in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands
Laurel Highlands
The Laurel Highlands is a region in southwestern Pennsylvania made up of Fayette County, Somerset County and Westmoreland County. It has a population of about 600,000 people....
region.
Description
Wright employed tidewater red cypress, glass, and native sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
to build the home and capped it with a copper roof at a cost of $96,000.
At 86, and hard at work on the Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
in New York, the Beth Sholom Synagogue
Beth Sholom Synagogue
Beth Sholom Congregation is a Conservative synagogue located in the Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. It is the only synagogue designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright...
in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, roughly from Center City, Philadelphia.-Points of interest:...
and about 12 residential homes, Wright said he could “shake it (Kentuck Knob) out of his sleeve at will”, never even setting foot on the site, except for a short visit during the construction phase. This would be one of the last homes to be completed by Wright.
The crescent-shaped house curls around a west-facing courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
, blending into the contours of the land. The anchor of the design is a hexagonal stone core that rises from the hipped roof at the intersection of the living and bedroom wings. The walls of the flat-roofed carport
Carport
A carport is a covered structure used to offer limited protection to vehicles, primarily cars, from the elements. The structure can either be free standing or attached to a wall. Unlike most structures a carport does not have four walls, and usually has one or two...
and studio burrow into the knob and define the courtyard’s eastern side. A stone planter terminates the low retaining wall on the west side of the courtyard, and it features a copper light fixture accented with a triangular-shaped shade. To the south, the house extends beyond the hillside on 10" thick stone-faced concrete ramparts. As with other houses Wright designed during this period, the Kentuck Knob plan is based upon a module system, in this case an equilateral triangle measuring 4'-6" to a side creating an outside 240 degree L-plan house.
History
The Hagan House began in 1953 when the Hagans, owners of a major dairy company in Western PennsylvaniaWestern Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
, purchased 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of mountain land east of their native Uniontown
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
, the county seat. As friends of the Kaufmanns
Edgar J. Kaufmann
Edgar J. Kaufmann was a prominent Jewish German-American businessman and philanthropist. He owned and directed Kaufmann's Department Store, the most prominent one in 20th century Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania...
, owners of nearby Fallingwater
Fallingwater
Fallingwater or Kaufmann Residence is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh...
on Bear Run, the Hagans asked their architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, then 86 years old, to design a deluxe Usonian home for them. The house was completed in 1956, and the Hagans lived at Kentuck Knob for almost 30 years.
In 1986 Lord Palumbo
Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo
Peter Garth Palumbo, Baron Palumbo is a property developer, art collector and architecture connoisseur.-Biography:Palumbo is the son of Rudolph Palumbo and his wife Elsie. He went to Scaitcliffe, Surrey and then Eton College and Worcester College, Oxford, whence he received an M.A. in law...
of London, UK bought the property for $600,000 as a vacation home. Since 1996, the Palumbo family has balanced their occupancy with a public tour program, a method of historic property management more common to their native Britain than to the United States.
The Palumbos added a sculpture meadow
Sculpture garden
A sculpture garden is an outdoor garden dedicated to the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings....
to the site near the base of the mountain, where 35 sculptures by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy, OBE is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He lives and works in Scotland.-Life and career:The son of F...
, Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia , was an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer....
, Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
, Ray Smith
Ray Smith
Ray Smith may refer to:*Ray Smith , Welsh actor, starred in the TV series Dempsey & Makepeace*Ray Smith , Canadian writer from Cape Breton*Ray Smith , baseball player...
, Michael Warren
Michael Warren (sculptor)
Michael Warren is an Irish sculptor who produces site-specific public art.Inspired by Oisín Kelly, his art teacher at St Columba's College, Michael Warren studied at Bath Academy of Art, at Trinity College, Dublin and, from 1971-75, at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. He now lives and works in Co...
and Sir Anthony Caro
Anthony Caro
Sir Anthony Alfred Caro, OM, CBE is an English abstract sculptor whose work is characterised by assemblages of metal using 'found' industrial objects.-Background and early life:...
are displayed. Found art pieces include a French pissoir
Pissoir
Pissoir, retitled Urinal in some countries, was the first feature film directed and released by John Greyson.Released in 1988, the film's central character is an unnamed man who conjures a circle of dead gay literary figures, including Sergei Eisenstein, Dorian Gray, Yukio Mishima, Frida Kahlo and...
, red British telephone boxes, and a large, vertically upright concrete slab from the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
. The meadow is reached by a walking path through woods from either the house or the visitors center.
The name Kentuck Knob is credited to the late eighteenth-century settler David Askins, who intended to move from Western Pennsylvania to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, but then reconsidered and remained at this very property, naming his tract of land Little Kentuck. It subsequently became known the Kentuck District of Stewart Township, one of the county's several rural mountainous townships. Ever since the summit of the property has been called Kentuck Knob.