7.17.11 – The Wescott House (Springfield, Ohio)

I took advantage of a recent Groupon offering and went to Frank Lloyd Wright's Wescott House in Springfield, Ohio. I remember being in high school and seeing a photograph of Fallingwater and being mesmerized. As a graduate student in art history I fell more in love with his buildings after visiting Oak Park and Chicago, Illinois during a class field trip. In my early thirties I was able to tour a home he built in Clifton, here in Cincinnati, that was up for auction, and even though I was more gainfully employed at the time, there was no way I could have bought the house. Still, I fantasized quite a lot about living there. Of course the real problem is I have too much stuff and clutter to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. I keep trying to de-clutter, but I know in my heart I will never be that free of possessions, but one always needs a goal.

As for the Wescott House, it is certainly worth the trip. I kept being drawn back to the enormous flower pots in the front of the home (that also appear in smaller versions on the side). It had fallen on hard times and had even been used apartments at one time (I missed my chance!), but it has been meticulously brought back to its original state, and is now a museum. They don't allow photography inside, so I can't show you the bookcases I'd give just about anything to have.

The added bonus of going to Springfield is that there is a Krispy Kreme donut shop very near. I think some of my fondness memories of growing up in Florida, and of my father, are going with him to Krispy Kreme on Sundays to get donuts. That probably explains my weight that goes up and down, but Krispy Kreme is also worth the stop every now and then.