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.
David N Cook says
Along with #10, the Elvis house in Palm Springs, take a drive around the surrounding Las Palmas neighborhood for many more great examples of mid-mod.
Jayme says
Not sure if this was mentioned because there are so many, but there’s an interesting FLW home in Ann Arbor, MI called the Palmer House that you can rent out and visit.
http://flwpalmerhouse.com/
pam kueber says
Thanks, Jayme!
Melissa says
The Carl Sandburg home is being prepared for a 2016-2017 preservation and it may be worth a call before you visit. Here is a link…
http://www.nps.gov/carl/planyourvisit/index.htm
pam kueber says
Note to file, email from reader in Hawaii:
Don’t forget us out here in Hawaii. Check out;
Vladimir Ossipoff at http://honolulumuseum.org/ossipoff/ and one of his most famous mid century homes that is open for tour, http://theliljestrandhouse.com/home.html He was Russian born, grew up in Tokyo, Berkeley trained architect. … Most of his mid century homes were designed and built for the elite of the islands. Some truly amazing homes. Mid century with Hawaiian Island and Japanese influences.
Mahalo and Aloha…
Amy says
The Winston Guest house, Number 21 on your map, is moving to New York’s Hudson Valley: http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2015/05/150521-Frank-Gehrys-Winton-Guest-House-to-MoveAgain.asp
Lawrence Merkle says
You may want to check out the Laurent House in Rockford Ill, a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian House open to the public. It was sold by Wright Auction House a few years ago to a non-profit so it would become a house museum when the original owners could no longer live there due to old age.
Carol says
I’ve been to the Carl Sandberg house several times, but have never actually toured the house. It’s time I did. The last time we went to the house and farm, there were baby goats being born in the barn. The goats are descendants of Mrs Sandberg’s beloved dairy goats. It’s a great place for a picnic if you happen to be in the area.
Lois C says
Hey girls! Thanks for the wonderful map! Coincidentally, just got back from Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, and found a treasure you’ll want to explore. It is called Polymath Park, Acme, Pa., about 30 min from Fallingwater. http://www.franklloydwrightovernight.net. Three houses to tour, including a completely restored (down to the interior furnishings!) and relocated FLW Usonian home, called the Duncan House! Fab! Also two homes designed by one of his apprentices. Owned and run by a young couple, the husband is an architect/builder who did the actual re-building of the Duncan House.
And yes, you can actually spend the night in any of the three houses. Toally worth the trip for the fascinating story of how all of this came about.
Paul Mezhir says
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin D. Martin house in Buffalo is absolutely incredible…….not to be missed! It’s only about 15 minutes south of Niagara Falls, so be sure to make plans to see it on your Great Lakes summer road trip. You will not be disappointed…..it is truly spectacular. While you’re in Buffalo, stop by the Albright+Knox Art Gallery if you are into mid-century modern abstract expressionism…….the collection at the A+K is one of the WORLD’S finest…….the collection is comprised of nothing but masterpieces. Again, you will not be disappointed!
Joe Felice says
I’d like to see the Eames and O’Keefe houses. Certainly not LBJ’s. He was boor, but I always liked Lady Bird. Didn’t she like pink a lot, like Jackie & Mamie?
JeffK says
I toured LBJ’s ranch and the house a couple of months ago, I had pretty low expectations. I left having really enjoyed the visit, highly recommended. The house is a great time capsule of 1973. It was upscale for the time, but not ostentatious.