House over the waterfall (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

An unusual house above the waterfall, located 80 km from the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been attracting a huge number of tourists for many years in a row. This unique building has become a manifesto of organic architecture. Its author Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to show the whole world that it is necessary to live in harmony with nature. It is worth noting that this was one of the most daring and extraordinary projects of the world famous architect. See citypopulationreview for state facts, symbols and history of Pennsylvania.

During the construction of the house over the waterfall, architect Frank Lloyd Wright strictly ensured that not a single tree was cut down, and that all natural rocks and ledges remained intact.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Wright was a very fashionable architect, but over the years, orders became less and less, Wright’s financial situation deteriorated greatly. In order to somehow make ends meet, the architect opened the Taliesin art studio at home. One of the students of the studio was Edgar Kaifman Jr., the son of a successful businessman Edgar Kaufman. Kaufman Jr. was very imbued with Wright’s ideas, they became friends, and Wright became a frequent visitor to the Kaufman family.

Soon, the Kaufmans ordered the architect to design a country house, which was supposed to be located in the picturesque corner of Bear Creek. The place for the future house was very beautiful, but unusual for construction – a rocky ledge with a waterfall. However, Wright was not deterred by such difficulties. For several months he hatched the idea of ​​an extraordinary project and eventually came up with a real eco-house. “The waterfall should become part of your life,” Wright told the future owners of the home and proceeded to implement the idea. During construction, the architect strictly ensured that not a single tree was cut down, and that all natural rocks and ledges remained intact. Wright chose reinforced concrete as the main building material.

Kaufman Sr. doubted Wright’s competence and even showed his drawings to other engineers and builders. Upon learning of this, the architect was very offended and wanted to abandon the construction of a house over the waterfall, but in the end, the customer and the contractor still found a common language. As a sign of reconciliation, the calculations of third-party engineers were laid in the stone wall of the house.

The house above the waterfall includes several buildings – this is the main house of the owners, a house for servants and a guest house, as well as a garage. Interestingly, in all these buildings, Wright sought to organically combine artificial and natural elements. For example, in some places, window panes are not inserted into frames, but directly into the masonry. In addition, in some rooms, the architect deliberately made low ceilings, hinting to the owners that they need to spend more time on the street, and not in the building. By the way, Wright developed not only the project of the house, but also its interior decoration – he came up with the design of chairs, tables and even carpets. Many famous people came to see the unusual building – Albert Einstein, Marlene Dietrich and even US President Franklin Roosevelt visited the house above the waterfall.

From 1937 to 1963, the Kaufman family constantly used the house above the waterfall on weekends – country receptions were held here, holidays were celebrated. However, not everything was so cloudless – there were many problems with housing. Firstly, the builders made a mistake, due to which the reinforced concrete consoles began to deviate from the design provisions and it was necessary to install supports. Secondly, due to the proximity of the waterfall, mold began to form in the house. Kaufman Sr. even nicknamed the dwelling “growth mold” and “the building with seven tubs.”

Gradually, the villa was more and more destroyed, because of which the owner quarreled with the architect. However, Wright noted that the owners themselves are to blame, since the dwelling reflects what is happening in the Kaufman family. It is worth noting that the husband and wife really did not live very well, since Kaufman was a very freedom-loving person, and his wife was very worried about this. The state of the house had to be constantly monitored, and therefore the workers practically lived in it. After the death of his parents, Kaufman Jr. transferred the villa to the state department, and the house above the waterfall became a museum.

Kinzu Bridge

Kinzu Bridge (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

The Kinzu Railroad Bridge was built in 1882 when the giants of the American coal industry needed quick access to new deposits. Already in 1900, it was rebuilt, adding steel to the structure – now the bridge could withstand the weight of improved trains loaded to capacity with oil, coal and timber. The viaduct served 121 years. In the 80s, a sightseeing train was launched along it, in 2002 they wanted to restore it again, but a year after the start of work in Pennsylvania there was a devastating tornado that destroyed most of the supports.

The name of the bridge (as well as the river through which it is thrown) is Indian. From the language of the Iroquois tribe, “kinzua” is translated as “fish on a prison.”

This majestic structure was once one of the longest (625 m) and highest (92 m) bridges in the United States. It offers a breathtaking view of the Kinzu river valley, and although part of the bridge lies in ruins, access to the viaduct is open to everyone. Entrance to the park is free, next to the information center there are picnic areas, several paths for trekking.

The old railway is equipped with a modern viewing platform with a transparent coating in the middle. Through the glass, the powerful pillars of the viaduct are perfectly visible, extending into the crowns of the trees of the river valley.

The park is especially beautiful in the first weeks of October, when colorful autumn leaf fall begins. Reserve staff organize group tours and festive events for a fee.

Practical Information

Address: Pennsylvania, Mt. Jewett, Viaduct Road, 296. GPS coordinates: 41.762578, −78.588478.

How to get there: by private transport – from Pittsburgh, 230 km along RA-28 to the northeast to Mount Jewett, then follow the signs.

Opening hours: daily from 8:00 to 18:00, you can climb the bridge before dusk. On the most frosty days and when there is a risk of ice formation, access is closed. The visit is free.