Architects: Frank Lloyd Wright
Area: 158 m² (1,700 ft²)
Year: 1956
Photography: Jon Roemer, Jason Ivester, Tarantino Studio
Rebuilding Year: 2014
Contractor: Patullo Brothers Builders
Concrete Floor: L.M. Scofield Co.
Concrete Block: ABC Block + Brick
Owner: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
City: Bentonville
Country: United States
In Bentonville, Arkansas, a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for a New Jersey couple over 60 years ago has been carefully reassembled, piece by piece, overlooking the clear waters of the Crystal Spring. Set to open to the public next month on the 120-acre campus of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, it will be the first Wright house in Arkansas. This late example of Wright’s Usonian homes exemplifies his vision for affordable middle-class living.
The relocation of the house to the Ozarks of northwestern Arkansas, approximately 1,200 miles from its original site, is a story of resilience against natural forces, a couple’s dedication to preserving an architectural gem, and the ambitions of Walmart heiress Alice Walton, who founded Crystal Bridges in 2011. Walton aimed to establish the museum as a destination for American art and architecture enthusiasts.
In 1954, Abraham Wilson and Gloria Bachman approached Wright at his suite in New York’s Plaza Hotel, where he was overseeing the construction of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. They requested a house design for a lot by a tributary of the Raritan River in milestone, New Jersey. The house would honor Bachman’s brother Marvin, a Wright apprentice who died in a car accident in 1951 while working on the Seamour Shavin House in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Completed in 1956, three years before Wright’s death, the three-bedroom, 158 m² (1,700 ft²) Bachman Wilson House embodied the architectural principle Wright developed over his career. key Usonian features included a concrete-block masonry wall for privacy from the street and floor-to-ceiling glass expanse at the back, offering views from the grand living room to the woods and the Milestone River. The house also had a rare second story, with a cantilevered balcony clad in Philippine mahogany.
Wilson and Bachman lived in the house until their separation in 1963, after which Bachman and their daughter stayed until 1968. Two decades later, after two ownership changes, architect Lawrence Tarantino and his wife Sharon, a designer, bought the house. They purchased it from a Rutgers professor who had not maintained it well. Following a period of neglect and a flood in the 1970s, the house was in poor condition, according to Lawrence Tarantino.
Upon purchasing the house, the Tarantinos consulted with Abraham Wilson, who became a valuable resource in restoring the house to its original state. With Wilson’s guidance and original blueprints, they undertook a meticulous restoration, stripping thick layers of paint from the mahogany surfaces and reviving Wright’s custom furniture.
The first significant challenge occurred in 1999, when Hurricane Floyd caused extensive damage to the kitchen. In response, the Tarantinos designed modular wooden cabinets that could be removed when the Millstone River threatened to flood. However, as flooding became more frequent—culminating in six feet of water from Hurricane Irene in 2011—the Tarantinos decided to sell the house, stipulating that it be moved to a safer location.
The Tarantinos brought their proposal to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, which typically opposes relocating Wright structures. However, given the repeated flooding, the conservancy considered relocation a last resort. The severe damage to the house’s fabric made it difficult to sell under such conditions.
Initially, the Tarantinos sought a new site for the house in New Jersey, home to only three other Wright houses, but found no viable options. They expanded their search to Sagaponack, New York, the Midwest, and even Fiesole, Italy, where Wright lived briefly in 1910. Discussions with an Italian architect nearly materialized but ultimately failed due to the high costs and logistical challenges of moving the house across the Atlantic. Running out of options, the Tarantinos faced increasing pressure.
In November 2011, the Tarantinos watched a “CBS Sunday Morning” segment on Crystal Bridges Museum, founded by Alice Walton as a showcases for American art. The Museum’s wooden setting and its connection to Wright’s legacy, through the work of his apprentice Fay Jones, suggested a fitting new home for the house.
The Tarantinos faced challenges in getting their proposal the right person at Crystal Bridges but eventually succeeded. Alice Walton, accompanied by museum officials, visited the house. Following her visit, the Tarantinos traveled to Bentonville, and Crystal Bridges’ director of operations, Scott Eccleston, visited Millstone. Eccleston emphasized that the museum’s mission, which blends art, nature, and architecture, aligned with the relocation of the Bachman Wilson House.
After agreeing that moving the house to Crystal Bridges would enhance the museum’s narrative of American art, the focus shifted to logistics. The Tarantinos offered to oversee the deconstruction and consult on the reconstruction. They had previously considered moving the house un sections but concluded that dismantling it was more feasible given the modular nature of Usonian components.
In January 2014, the Tarantinos, with help from Patullo Brothers Builders, began deconstructing their home of 26 years. Every board and beam was documented and photographed, and Tarantino Studio produced new drawings to guide the rebuilding process. The careful dismantling process took nearly for months.
The house’s components were transported to a storage facility in northwestern Arkansas, courtesy of J.B, Hunt Transport, which donated its services. Crystal Bridges selected a site for the house on its South Lawn, surrounded by a native Ozark forest and overlooking the Crystal Spring. The site was chosen to avoid the flooding that plagued the house in New Jersey.
The original concrete slab and masonry blocks were not moved, so new elements were carefully recreated. L.M. Scofield Co. provided the red concrete used in Wright homes, and ABC Block + Brick of Springdale, Arkansas, produced custom blocks to match the original ones.
Bill Faber and his Bentonville-based construction crew were responsible for integrating the new elements with the original components. Faber, who had visited the house before it was dismantled, likened the task to solving a giant three-dimensional puzzle. However, dealing with weathered and occasionally brittle 60-year-old mahogany presented unique challenges.
The clerestory frieze, composed of 72 intricately patterned mahogany panels, was particularly difficult to restore. Some panels had warped and needed careful flattening before reinstallation. Crystal Bridges insisted on handcrafting replacement panels rather than using modern techniques.
The reconstruction began in earnest in fall 2014, with the house scheduled to open to the public on November 11. An interpretive center nearby, designed by students from the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas, will tell the story of Wright and the house’s relocation. Access will be free, though limited to small groups to preserve the structure.
The Tarantinos ultimately decided against relocating to Bentonville to supervise the reconstruction. Instead, they continue to live in a section of their former home that was not moved. They remain involved as advisors, consulting with the reconstruction team via phone and email. They have made several visits to see the progress and are confident that they have found the right new home for the house.
Sharon Tarantino noted that this arrangement allowed them to stay connected to the house while gradually letting go. Lawrence Tarantino, reflecting on their decision, remarked that their commitment to the project was final.
Gallery
Location
Address: 610 Museum Way, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712, United States
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
