The disaster also radically altered the skyline of New York City, destroying the twin columns of glass and steel that over the years had come to embody the city itself. On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center became the target of a massive terrorist attack that took the lives of nearly 3,000 people. They were the hub of the bustling Financial District, a top tourist attraction and a symbol of New York City’s–and America’s–steadfast devotion to progress and the future. Completed in 1973, the towers stood at 110 stories each, accommodating 50,000 workers and 200,000 daily visitors in 10 million square feet of space. The iconic twin towers of downtown Manhattan’s World Trade Center were a triumph of human imagination and will. The World Trade Center on September 11th.Feats of Engineering at the World Trade Center.It was a natural fit being located so close to Fallingwater, to have guests be able to experience that magnificent site and realize they learned of angles and compression and release and then come back here and experience it overnight. 'I wanted to create an experience and not just offer an hour-long tour without the true feel. 'At certain properties, you have to watch how you breathe when you tour them,' says Tom. Through home tours, dining, and even overnight stays, the Usonian Preservation has created an accessible learning opportunity for anyone to experience Wright’s impact. These are ordinary guys who would never think about this as anything but work, yet it brought tears to their eyes.'Īnd that’s what sets this project apart. 'My core group gelled and made it come to life. 'The best part is that it consumes you and makes you want to get past the hard spots,' says Tom. It makes sense in today’s standard of living, which is greener, smaller, and utilizes space efficiently.'Īll in, contractors spent around 9,000 hours on the project, and many of those were spent collaboratively with the Trust and the McKinneys. 'It’s important for generations to understand that Wright was so ahead of his time. 'We do it for the purpose for preservation, but also for people to truly enjoy the space and appreciate the history in front of us and his legacy,' says Tom.

Aside from the Duncan House and the Berndtson-designed residences, there are hiking trails and even a restaurant, where Heather cooks in addition to managing the day-to-day operations. We tried everything to keep it at the original location.'Īt its new site in Polymath Park, Mäntylä is in good company. 'There were a lot of emotions, as it was a hard choice for everyone to move the house. 'The hardest part was the first hit of the hammer,' says Tom. Tom Papinchak, president of Usonian Preservation 'It’s important for generations to understand that Wright was so ahead of his time.' So in 2016, after owners Julene and Peter McKinney (a Lindholm descendant) failed to find a buyer who would preserve the integrity of Mäntylä after years of trying, the Papinchaks’ nonprofit, Usonian Preservation, was granted a tremendous responsibility by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Then, in 2007, the couple relocated a midwestern Wright project, the Duncan House, to the grounds and opened up Polymath Park to lodging and tours.

In 2003, the couple purchased the Balter and Blum Houses designed by Wright apprentice Peter Berndston, along with the 130-acre property known as Polymath Park, with the intention of protecting the land from development. This wasn’t their first rodeo at architectural preservation.

Journey to the core falling blocks