Traveling this season? Plan a visit to an extraordinary mid century house!

Eames Office, Los Angeles, California
Charles & Ray Eames, 1949
The Eames House is a private residence still used by the Eames family. Self-guided visits to the exterior of the Eames House and the grounds are available to the general public, Monday through Fridays, excluding holidays, between the approximate hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only. The house is a private residence and you are visiting at your own risk. As the House is a private residence at the end of a private driveway in a residential neighborhood, driving by to view it is not an option. For appointments, please call 310.459.9663. More information.

The Gropius House, Lincoln, Massachusetts
Walter Gropius, 1938
"Walter Gropius (1883-1969) was a celebrated German architect and teacher, founder of the school of design known as the Bauhaus in Germany, and a leading proponent of modern architecture. This house was his first architectural commission in the United States, built in 1938 as his family home after coming here to teach at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. This was Walter Gropius's home from 1938 until his death in 1969. Restoration of the Gropius House is being supported in part by a Save America's Treasures grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The project encompasses repairs to the south and west elevations and replanting of the orchard and meadow." The Gropius House is a National Historic Landmark owned by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. More info: The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities

The Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois
Mies van der Rohe, 1945-50
"Designed and built from 1946 to 1951, Farnsworth House is considered a paradigm of international style architecture in America. The house's structure consists of precast concrete floor and roof slabs supported by a carefully crafted steel skeleton frame of beams, girders and columns. The facade is made of single panes of glass spanning from floor to ceiling, fastened to the structural system by steel mullions. The building is heated by radiant coils set in the concrete floor; natural cross ventilation and the shade of nearby trees provide minimal cooling. Though it proved difficult to live in, the Farnsworth House's elegant simplicity is still regarded as an important accomplishment of the international style." Guided tours of The Farnsworth House for the public are available on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am and 1pm; reservations are necessary. Special groups can be accommodated during the week, also by advance arrangement only. More info: Friends of the Farnsworth House

The Ralph Sr. and Sunny Wilson House, Temple, Texas
Ralph Wilson Sr., the founder of Wilsonart International, 1959
"The Wilson house was purchased by Wilsonart International from Ralph Wilson's widow in 1997, and has been restored to its essential appearance in 1959. A striking commentary on the durability of laminate, nearly all of the original laminate remains in excellent condition, preserving this moment in interior design history. In July 1998, the Wilson house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a significant architectural structure. On the national level, it was recognized for the extraordinary design of the interior which had an impact on the design of subsequent structures; and the employment of cutting edge laminate technology. Also, on a local level, it was cited as an excellent example of a ranch style house. Most noteworthy: the Wilson house is the first 20th-century vernacular structure less than 50 years old to have ever been nominated.Wilsonart has opened the house to students and members of the interior design trade, as well as architectural historians, for private tours. Additionally, the house will be used for corporate entertaining - the main purpose for which it was originally built." The Wilson House is open by appointment only, M-F, 9am - 5pm. More info: Wilsonart

Kentuck Knob, Chalk Hill, Pennsylvania
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1953
"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." More info: Kentuck Knob

The Zimmerman House, Manchester, New Hampshire
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1950
"The Currier Gallery of Art offers you a unique opportunity to explore the world of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Zimmerman House is the only residence in New England designed by the acclaimed American architect and open to the public. Wright designed the Zimmerman House in 1950, planning its gardens, its built-in and freestanding furniture, its textiles, and even the mailbox! The Zimmerman house offers a glimpse into the 1950s - 1960s, and the private lives of Isadore and Lucille Zimmerman, who lived in the home for 36 years." Info-link: The Currier Gallery of Art

Manitoga/Dragon Rock Garrison, New York Russel Wright, 1951 (Dragon Rock) Manitoga and the Russel Wright Design Center comprise the "the home and landscape created by Russel Wright. From the 1930s through the 1950s the words 'designed by Russel Wright' elicited an instant response. He was one of the best known designers of home furnishings in America and an outspoken proponent of American design. All of his designs reflect his love of natural, organic shapes. Manitoga and his home, Dragon Rock, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were the consummate achievements in his design pursuit of an aesthetic harmony with nature. Wright's home is open to the public only by advance reservation." Text courtesy Russel Wright Center. Email info@russelwrightcenter.org. [link for image source]

Oberlin College's Weltzheimer/Johnson House, Ohio Frank Lloyd Wright, 1950. A late example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian houses. Begun in 1948, and completed in 1950, it is the first Usonian house in Ohio. The Weltzheimer/Johnson House is open to the public on the first and third Sunday of each month from 12 to 4 p.m. Closed on major holidays - Easter, Independence Day, Christmas. Admission is $5.00. Tickets are available at the house on tour days. For further information call the museum at 440.775.8665. To schedule a group tour call 440-775-8670.

JetSet Modern On-line Modern Interior Tours One of the most popular feature sections of this comprehensive modern website, including the Keck & Keck home in Illinois, and a wonderful modernist house owned by Michael John Smith and Malcolm Perry. Eight homes featured on this virtual tour.

Stay at a Lustron on your next vacation! Steel Away Vacation Rental in Chautauqua offers weekly rental of a real Lustron located on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. With three bedrooms, two baths, a barbeque outside and two bicycles, this historic home is perfect for a family getaway. Support Lustron preservation by considering this rental on your next visit to Chautauqua. More details on Steel Away. | More Lustron homes on RPPN's National Windshield Survey.

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