Historic house museums aren’t just for Early American revolutionaries, pioneer settlers or Victorians any more. Yes, as appreciation for mid-20th century architecture has grown, so has the number of historic house museums. Kate and I have been working for several weeks to research and prepare what we believe is the first conclusive list of mid-century and modern historic house museums that you can visit and see. In the USA. In your Chevrolet, even.
Our list includes 59 mid century and modern house museums. A number of these are iconic, architect-designed “mid-century modern” masterpiece houses. But we also were somewhat liberal in including other early- and mid-20th historic houses that played key roles in the evolution of mid century residential architecture and the “modern” way we still live today. There are quite a few houses by Frank Lloyd Wright that fall into our “extremely influential” but not really “mid-century” category, for example.
Houses generally become “historic” for one of two reasons (or both): (1) Their architecture is special, or (2) Someone historic lived there. Reflecting this, the houses in our roundup are there for a variety of reasons — and we believe this diversity helps illuminate the story of mid-century America. In addition to the houses that are important examples of mid century and modern residential architecture, our list includes celebrity houses where Elvis, Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong lived… a number of “biographical” houses including from Russel Wright, Georgia O’Keefe, and Jackson Pollock and Louise Krasner… There are two presidential estates… and we dug and dug and dug to find two Lustron houses open to the public! We take the research all the way to one “post modern” house, a 1982 design by Frank Gehry. Don’t be harassing us, please, if you don’t like the way we sliced and diced the list; be nice; we were trying to show the love for 20th century modern and modern-esque houses that haven’t quite made it onto others’ formal lists yet. Also, we started to get cross-eyed after a while of hashing what’s “in” the list and “what’s out”. We kinda wanted to be done already.
If so, please let us know!
with lots of “bonus” photos you won’t find on the house websites
by clicking here.
Diane says
Fantastic list! Thanks so much! I’ve been to about 4 or 5 places on the list but am very happy there are so many more places to discover.
pam kueber says
Note to file, Blair sent this email:
Might I suggest these two significant MCM museums/homes/locations:
The NS Savannah ship, in Baltimore. The world’s first nuclear-powered freight ship, constructed in 1959 under an Eisenhower Administration initiative to showcase “Atoms for Peace.” VERY Mid-Century design, and check out this virtual tour at the great Mid-Century decor, all preserved! It isn’t open on a “regular” tour schedule, but apparently requests can be made for tours if the staff can accomodate it. I’d like to check it out!
http://hnsa.org/savannah/veranda.php?pano=nr
And the Park Forest Historical Association Museum, southern suburb of Chicago:
http://www.parkforesthistory.org/museum-home.html
Features an apartment of the original “planned community” which houses a restored apartment and historical artifacts. And if you want to lookie-lou in the neighborhood at all the great 1948-1960s Ranch homes, they can point you in the right direction. Park Forest was significant for being the first planned community of the post war era (vs. just being a subdivision development) where the new citizens were given the opportunity to create the village charter and decide what kind of community they wanted to live in–a fascinating story. And I’m proud to say this is where I was born, so of course I have a soft spot for the place!
Susan says
As a curator of a historic house (19th century), I’m thrilled that you’ve put this list together. Historic house museums are important to a national identity, and I’m glad that mid-20th century homes are receiving attention from the preservation/museum community. Thanks for encouraging your readers to visit museums!
pam kueber says
Thank you, Susan!
Doug Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
I’ve been to several of these, but there is clearly much more visiting to be done.
I’ve been to 29, 31, 32, 33, 43, 44 and 45.
Just a teensy typo, but the graphic lists “Kentuk Knob” (missing “c”)
pam kueber says
drats. next go-round we’ll fix it. drats!
Rebecca@MidCenturyModernRemodel says
Oh, and I have one that I got to visit, an Ossipoff. But it is off the Continental United States in Hawaii. http://www.midcenturymodernremodel.com/2013/04/the-liljestrand-house-honolulu-hawaiian.html
pam kueber says
That looks to be a terrific addition to our list — we’ll check it out — and add it to our next update. Thank you!
Rebecca@MidCenturyModernRemodel says
This is ahhhh-mazing!!! Thanks Pam!!!!!! Would it be too obsessive compulsive of me to try to visit all the houses on the list? I have a friend who goes to ALL the Presidential museums. Why don’t I visit all the mid-century modern museum houses??? Awesome research. I commend you!
pam kueber says
That would be amazing!
Amy says
Oops, hit Submit by accident.
Speaking of Nakashima, 8 buildings/houses designed by him on the compound: http://www.nakashimawoodworker.com/visit/1
Near Fallingwater, a FLW Usonian house you can stay in overnight: http://www.polymathpark.com
pam kueber says
Thanks also for the tip on Nakashima — we’ll check that out!
Amy says
Amazing list! Thank you for setting it all up! It must have taken a lot of time and work and I personally appreciate it greatly!
A couple extras that may or may not fit in the scope:
Esherick Studio (multiple buildings of several ages) built by a contemporary/friend of George Nakashima — really cool: http://whartonesherickmuseum.org/studio.html
pam kueber says
Thanks!! Esherick is on the map! It’s #51. Next update I think we will (1) alphabetize the numbers and (2) also do a memo-list by state.
Kelly Rundle says
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Cedar Rock (Lowell and Agnes Walter House) near Independence, Iowa is open for tours Memorial Day through Halloween. http://docublogger.typepad.com/midcentury/2011/09/a-tour-of-frank-lloyd-wright-designed-cedar-rock-part-one.html
pam kueber says
Thanks! Golly, our list is really growing!
lisa says
Hi!
Great list! Thanks for compiling it- I want to visit all of them! I have been to Falling Water 4 times, Kentuck Knob, Pope -Leighey, a mid century modern house tours in Charlotte NC, and in Raleigh, NC
I have also stayed overnight twice in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Louis Penfield House in Willoughby, Ohio
I think it is the only house that is still owned by the original family that commissioned it.
It is amazing ! It is not a museum on purpose because the owners want you to feel what is actually like to live in it! I have to say though that after staying in it twice, I was still in amazed that I walking around this beautiful ” museum” in my pajamas!
I think it is definitely list worthy:)
Here is the link:
http://www.penfieldhouse.com/
Retroly yours,
Lisa
pam kueber says
Thanks for the tip, we’ll check this one out as well!