WESTERN PENN.
TOURISM IDEA

The staff at Otels hope you enjoy the following Travel Ideas
from travel writer (and enthusiastic naturalist) Mark Kolakowski
Best wishes on your next trip!

 

Frank Lloyd Wright in Western (and Eastern) Pennsylvania

By Mark Kolakowski
Copyright © 2009 by the author

2009 marked the 50^th anniversary of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s death, and of the opening of one of his signature buildings, the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Accordingly, the Guggenheim celebrated this milestone with a major exhibition on Wright’s life and career. Convenient to travelers on the western side of Pennsylvania (not far from the Turnpike) are two Wright works.

Kentuck Knob, also known as the I.N. Hagan House, was one of Wright’s final finished projects, completed in 1956. It opened for tours in 1996. It is an ideal addition to a trip to his acclaimed Fallingwater, which is nearby. Tour reservations for both locations are handled by the same service.

Kentuck Knob is an example of what Wright called his Usonian style, for the United States of North America. The Usonian concept was to produce distinctive homes at moderate cost. Since 1986, the house has been owned by Lord Palumbo of England. Indeed, he was on a tour of Fallingwater when he learned that the only other Wright-designed house in Western Pennsylvania was in the vicinity, and that local ice cream magnate I.N. Hagan and his wife, both in declining health, had put it up for sale.

The site of Kentuck Knob is a hilltop that had a commanding panoramic view of the surrounding countryside at the time of its construction. However, trees on the hillside have been allowed to grow unchecked in the succeeding decades, partially obscuring the views. On the other hand, Lord and Lady Palumbo have amassed an interesting collection of art that is on display in the house and on the grounds. Also, the intimate nature of the house and its many clever design features more than make up for the impaired views. Note that the Palumbos still use this a residence for part of each year, during which time tours may not be available.

See http://www.kentuckknob.com.
Also see http://www.fallingwater.org.
 
(Those motivated to see all the Frank Lloyd Wright structures in Pennsylvania may wish to visit these two sites in the Philadelphia area:)
   
  Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA, north of Philadelphia, is a National Historic Landmark and the only synagogue designed by Wright. He accepted the commission for this project in 1953, shortly before taking the one for Kentuck Knob. Working closely with the congregation’s rabbi, Mortimer J. Cohen, Wright developed a soaring glass-enclosed space meant to evoke Mount Sinai. On November 15, 2009 the congregation opened a visitor center that tells the story of the collaboration between Wright and Cohen and features an 18 minute film narrated by Leonard Nimoy. See www.bethsholomcongregation.org/synagogue.

  Suntop Homes in Ardmore, PA, a suburb on the west side of Philadelphia. For more information on this "quad-plex" of 4 homes, which share a common wall, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suntop_Homes.     
  
 
Visiting the Earliest Americans

By Mark Kolakowski
Copyright © 2008 by the author

Here's a tempting travel idea for western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. Meadowcroft is within a hour's drive of Pittsburgh, PA, Wheeling, WV and Steubenville, OH.

The Meadowcroft Rockshelter is little-known and lightly-visited, yet is an incredibly significant archaeological site. Discovered in 1955 and under excavation since 1973, it lies between the rural town of Avella, Pennsylvania and the state line with West Virginia. Radiocarbon tests date artifacts from Meadowcroft to over 16,000 years ago, roughly 4,000 years earlier than finds at Clovis, New Mexico, previously documented as the oldest. A National Historic Landmark under the management of the Senator John Heinz History Center (itself affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution), Meadowcroft has applied to UNESCO for listing as a World Heritage Site.
   
For anyone with an interest in archaeology or Native American culture, this is an exciting place to visit. In 2008, a sparkling new enclosure for the site opened to the public, vastly increasing accessibility and visibility.
Those with a particular interest in this site or in archaeology should attend one of the periodic lectures and tours given by Dr. James M. Adovasio, who has led the excavation from its inception in 1973. Places are limited and fill up months in advance.
  
The Rockshelter gets its name from adjacent Meadowcroft Village, a living history museum that preserves 18th and 19th century structures from the surrounding region. It was founded by the same local resident who discovered the Rockshelter. One admission covers both sites. Meadowcroft is open Saturdays and Sundays in May, September and October, and Wednesdays through Sundays in June, July and August. 

http://meadowcroft.pghhistory.org/
   

    To make hotel reservations in Pennsylvania, please visit us at
                                                      PennsylvaniaHotels.com!
 

              We welcome your comments or suggestions about the above Travel Report: