Frank Lloyd Wright for SALE!

I am here in Mason City, IA this week being an artist in residence. MC is one of my favorite places in Iowa to visit,with so much great architecture both public and private buildings.One of the most prominent is the Park House Hotel,the only standing FLW hotel in the world, and it's for sale here is a link to a web page about the hotel:

http://www.wrightiniowa.com/intended.php

The city council was having a private group restore it, but got impatient and now are thinking of selling it on ebay. Get your checkbooks out folks!

It has been very rainy but I hope to get out today and shoot some of my favorite buildings, especially Rock Falls Rock Glen.

Pass the Hash

Lots of little things to report on:

• We had our first party at the new place. Lisa's staff came over after school on Friday, and some of my fellow tech people did too. The house is a great place to host a party, the key in the future will be to not move in any more furniture! I had the camera and neglected to take any pictures.
  
• Also on Friday I got my bill from the foundation contractor which stated all work had been completed, but they had never come back to finish sealing the inside cracks. I called and the receptionist said that Terry was in Iowa City and would call me. Imagine my surprise when I pull up to the house after picking up the girls at school to find a huge truck and backhoe in the driveway. Of course Lisa's teachers had already begun to arrive as well. I came in and two guys were in the basement patching. I told them to be sure and grab some food on their way out.
  
• Saturday morning was my parents garage sale, they have moved out of their big foursquare and are selling what was left over from their 3 day big time tag sale. My station was the garage itself, as opposed to the first floor of the house or the basement. Imagine my surprise when my father hands me an apron emblazoned with "Gordon Van Tine" advertising on the front. (Art and Crafts enthusiasists know that these folks were a major seller of pre cut "kit homes" in the early 20th century, and were headquartered in Davenport, Iowa.) All the millwork in our old house is from one of their catalogs that I happen to have found at Foxcroft. I'm certain all of Foxcroft's millwork is from there also.
  
• Saturday was the first playgroup at the new place as well. Rowan has two other friends who also live in neighborhoods without many kids so we rotate getting them together on Saturday mornings. Two other new neighborhood kids came over also. There are lots of children our kids age here, and since it is basically a dead end street, they just run wild around the neighborhood. That will be a huge change for us.
  
• I will be in Mason City, IA all next week, I will take my camera and post photos from there, it is the home of the only extant Frank Lloyd Wright hotel in the world, and Rock Falls Rock Glenn is the only Prairie style subdivision in the U.S. both are really fascinating.
  

VERY Little House on the Prairie

I just returned from visiting the Ingalls cabin (of "Little House on the Prairie" fame) replica museum located between Coffeyville and Independence, KS. The place is refreshingly non-commercial. There is a grand total of 1 sign marking where to turn to see it. The cabin is on the site of the original and has an old post office and school house moved onto the site as well. The cabin has one room and in stepping it off must be about 18 x 15 feet. To think that two adults, two children, and a third that was born there all lived in that space. It makes you wonder about how much room we really need. It also makes me wonder when figuring out how often the Ingalls moved and how far they went (Wisconsin to Minnesota to Kansas to South Dakota and back to Wisconsin and Iowa) that Ma didn't kill Pa or leave him when he proposed about the third move!

On the road...

There are those times when rather than spend every available moment working on your home, you go out and do those things that earn extra income so that you can afford to work on your home. For me, this week is one of those times.

I am in Coffeyville, Kansas, spending a week as an artist in residence sponsored by the local community college. This week consists of me performing once at the community college, spending a day at a local high school, and averaging about three performances a day at local nursing homes. I've been here once before, and thoroughly enjoyed my time. The people are friendly and appreciative, and I rather enjoy being referred to as the "Humanities fella"

One of the serendipitous joys of doing these residencies is that you get to walk around completely unfamiliar neighborhoods. Coffeyville is full of great old victorians and A&C bungalows and craftsman houses. Some are quite grand, and if you could live anywhere, prices are dirt cheap.

My only regret is that two of the most famous homes in the area, the Brown Mansion, a 1905 Georgian with original furnishings, currently a museum, is not open during week days in April; Also closed now is the Laura Ingalls Wilder cabin museum, a replica of the "Little House on the Prairie" in its original location near Independence.

Next month I'll spend a week in Mason City, IA home of the world's only planned Prairie style subdivision, and also the site of the only extant Frank Lloyd Wright hotel, which is currently for sale. I will remember to bring the digital camera then!