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Frank Lloyd Wright (1867—1959)

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Hagan House Designation

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2000 -- U.S. Rep. John Murtha said he is delighted by today's announcement by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt designating the I.N. and Bernardine Hagan House in Fayette County as a National Historic Landmark.
"National Landmark status is the highest recognition that the Department of Interior can confer on an historic property," Murtha said. "Kentuck Knob certainly deserves this recognition."

Babbitt today announced designation of 15 properties in 10 states as National Historic Landmarks. The Hagan House is the only one in Pennsylvania.

"Fallingwater is also a National Historic Landmark, so we now have two houses designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright on the National Register within about 10 miles of each other. This will boost our tourism base, which has been an important component of our economic rebuilding effort in Fayette County and the region," Murtha said.

The Hagan House is located between Chalk Hill and Ohiopyle on a crest known locally as Kentuck Knob -- the name used in its promotion to visitors. The National Park Service summary that accompanied Secretary Babbitt's announcement said:

"The Hagan house is a nationally significant work of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and one of only two such works in Western Pennsylvania. While Wright designed many houses during his prolific career, only a few high-end, more customized examples based upon the Usonian model exist. Of these examples, the Hagan house is a particularly intact, well-maintained, and solidly constructed example executed in native stone, tidewater cypress, and copper. The house stands as an excellent example of residential design from the final decade of Wright's career."

Usonian refers to a style of residential architecture developed by Wright.

House location & directions

Kentuck Knob is located on Chalk Hill - Ohiopyle Road, six miles north of U.S. Route 40 (the National Road) in Stewart Township, Fayette County. The home is only seven miles from Fallingwater.

Address: Kentuck Knob, P.O. Box 305, Kentuck Road, Chalk Hill, PA 15421-0305 (724) 329-1901

From Fallingwater: Go south on 381* thru Ohiopyle for four miles. Turn right at the State Park sign at the south end of the Meadow Run Bridge. Follow winding road for one and one half miles. At intersection at top of hill, turn left going toward Chalk Hill. Go three quarters of a mile to Kentuck Knob (on left).

From Downtown Pittsburgh: Go south on State Route 51 to Uniontown. Go south on U.S. Route 119 by turning right onto bypass from 51. Take U.S. Route 119 to U.S. 40. Go east on U.S. Route 40 to Chalk Hill. Turn left on Chalk Hill / Ohiopyle Road and go six miles to Kentuck Knob on the right.

From Pittsburgh International Airport: Take State Route 60 toward Pittsburgh. Take Interstate 79 south toward Washington, PA. to Interstate 70. Go east on Interstate 70 to exit 15A (Toll Road 43). Go south on 43 to U.S. 40. Go east on U.S. Route 40 to Chalk Hill. Turn left on Chalk Hill / Ohiopyle Road and go 6 miles to Kentuck Knob on the right.

To Motorcoach: Go south on 381 to U.S. Route 40 (about 10 miles). Turn right on U.S. Route 40 and go west to the Chalk Hill/Ohiopyle road to Kentuck Knob on the Right. 

You can obtain general lodging information and accommodations by going to the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau.
 

 

Kentuck Knob, Pennsylvania, 1953

I. N. Hagan House

Kentuck Knob represents a refinement of the many principles of organic architecture explored by Mr. Wright throughout his long career. Designed in 1953 for the I. N. Hagan family of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Kentuck Knob "I. N. & Bernadine" (Bernadine from Lebanese origin) was constructed by local craftsmen whose skills earned the confidence of Mr. Wright himself. The interior, at once expansive and intimate, reflects the presence of current owners, the Lord and Lady Palumbo of London, England, who are dedicated patrons of the arts both at home and abroad. Lord Palumbo served as chairmen of the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1989 to 1994 and sits in the House of Lords, the Upper Chamber of the British Parliament.

Among other comparable Wright houses, the Hagan house stands out for its quality and harmonious connection to its rural mountainous site. To the local area, the Hagan house is part of the evolution of transportation history in Fayette County, Pennsylvania that led the Hagan's to build a year round house in a rural area and continue to work in nearby Uniontown. Unlike some other examples, the Hagan house represents a good quality version of an everyday rural getaway in an area known for "getting away" in many forms.

The Hagan house is a nationally significant work of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and one of only two such works in western Pennsylvania. While Wright designed many houses during his prolific career, only a few high-end, more customized examples based upon the Usonian model exist. Of these examples, the Hagan house is a particularly intact, well-maintained, and solidly constructed example executed in native stone, tidewater cypress, and copper. The house stands as an excellent example of residential design from the final decade of Wright's career.

The Hagan house has often been overlooked due to its proximity to Fallingwater, yet both these houses contribute to the broader trend of transportation-driven recreation activities in Fayette County's mountainous region from the late nineteenth century to the present, and together they stand as important examples of Wright's work in Pennsylvania.

The home is built on a hexagonal grid, and is constructed entirely of tidewater red cypress and native fieldstone. The truly functional kitchen is the architectural core of the home. Its walls of stone not only anchor the two wings of the house but also rise to penetrate the horizontal line of the copper roof. An open floor plan, cantilevered overhangs and great expanses of glass artfully integrate the outdoor and indoor spaces. A sculpture park has been integrated with the woodlands and informal gardens surrounding the house, providing an additional attraction for the visitor.

Construction of the Hagan house began in the summer of 1954. With sandstone taken from the Hagan property, Jesse Wilson, a stone mason from nearby Markleysburg, constructed the stone walls. Herman Keys, a local builder, served as the contractor. The pattern in which the stone was laid is similar to Fallingwater with some stones randomly extending beyond the other stones to give a more natural appearance. The stone walls are a veneer over concrete retaining walls which contain dirt and fill for the podium under the main floor.

These walls measure ten inches thick until they reach the first floor level; then double stone walls separated by two inches of insulation extend to the rafters. The stonework was apparently so well-executed that the Hagan house's stonework was featured throughout a how-to book about masonry in 1976. "The book includes details of the south elevation, the carport, the front steps, and an interior detail of the living room fireplace".

As the house reached completion, the Hagan's soon realized the need for chairs, tables, and textiles in addition to the built-in furniture. Wright suggested the Hagan's consider the "Taliesin Ensemble" of pieces he designed for the Heritage Henredon collection, but the Hagan's opted instead for Scandinavian furniture. To assist, they called upon Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. (sic) and designer Paul Mayen. The Hagan's , along with Kaufmann and Mayen, visited the George Jensen shop in New York and purchased pieces by Denmark designer Hans Wegner. They chose Jack Lenor Larsen fabrics for the built-in Wright seating area. They also ordered Moroccan rugs for the living room and bedroom from the Kaufmann department store. "

An article in the New York Times led the Hagan's to George Nakashima of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Nakashima designed most of the walnut furniture including a coffee table, a cabinet for the foyer, a cushion chair, a stool, an ottoman, and six chairs for the dining table. They also used a Nakashima table for the dining room rather than the cypress table Wright designed. Many of the Nakashima, pieces selected included 60 degree angles, similar to those of the house. The Hagan's also commissioned a geometric screen from Eugene Masselink at Taliesin, but Wright apparently liked it so well that they did not have the piece until after Wright's death when it was sent to the Hagan's and placed in the master bedroom. The Hagan's moved into the completed house in July of 1956.
 
Beyond the house, the Hagan's aesthetic interests extended to enhancing the natural site around the house. The Hagan's asked Wright about planting trees on the site, and he agreed with their plan. They planted approximately 8,000 seedlings which eventually transformed the open farm fields into a forest and provided substantial wind break and privacy. In addition to painting, Bernadine, an avid gardener and member of the local garden club, worked to landscape the site over the course of many years. This work included terracing the earth southwest of the house and constructing a flagstone path to the top of Kentuck Knob north of the house, an especially cool spot in the summer.

Through gradual experimentation, Bernadine Hagan was able to find plants that grew well on Kentuck Knob since those she had grown in nearby Uniontown did not always grow in the mountain climate. In late 1950s, they added a small decorative fountain with native rocks to the east bedroom terrace to blend the house with the setting. The Hagan's purchased the Kaufmann greenhouse circa 1964 from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) to grow plants and start seedlings. It was placed along the driveway to the house. The site has been further developed by the Palumbos with the present sculpture park, but the Hagan's landscaping is intact.

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