Who had this house built?

Fallingwater has been called the best private home in America. If you have not been there plan a trip. It is amazing! It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1937. Fallingwater was the vacation home of the Kaufmann family from Pittsburgh, about 63 miles away. The Kaufmann’s owned the Kaufmann Department Stores, now part of Macy’s. The incredible house stayed in the family until after the father, Edgar Sr., and his wife Lilliane had both passed away. In 1963, son Edgar Jr. entrusted the house to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and in 1965 it became a museum.

The Kaufmanns had originally rented the property, formerly the site of a country club, and used it as a retreat for employees of his store. They then purchased it and set about looking to build their vacation home. The original estimate for the house was $35,000. Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to build a masterpiece and the final cost was $155,000. In todays dollars that is over $2.5 million. The main house came first in 1937, followed by the guesthouse, and swimming pool, which are located just above, in 1938. Between the two buildings, there are 169 original pieces of furniture designed by Wright, one of the largest collections of the famous architect's furniture anywhere on earth.

The house was literally built over a river at the top of the waterfall. Mr. Wright built a stairway in the living room to allow you to descend to the river to stick your feet in.