On Saturday, I made it out the “Moving Day” event at the Weltzheimer-Johnson House in Oberlin, Ohio. The event was nicely done, and the tour experience was as good as always.
Weltaheimer-Johnson is worth the trip for anyone who lives in (at least) the northern third of Ohio, or anyone traveling through Ohio on the Turnpike (Oberlin lies just 10 minutes from 80/90). The house itself is modest, only about 1500 square feet; the tour doesn’t take long. The big attraction isn’t the guided tour, but the attitude of the docents — they actively encourage you to sit in the Wright-designed furniture, hang out in the living room, and explore the house plans displayed on the piano — in fact, they will be disappointed if you don’t. You’re allowed to wander through and around the house to your heart’s content.
It’s been said that you cannot appreciate a Wright house until you’ve lived in one. At the Weltzheimer-Johnson House, you’ll at least experience a Wright house much like the invited guests of the original owners did — and it’s pleasantly different from the herded cattle approach (necessarily) used at the more popular Wright sites.
Nicely dovetailing with the open philosophy is the fact that the house is well documented — not just on the original design and experiences of the original owners, but also the subsequent changes to Wright’s design. Point to a section of wall, and it’s a good bet that a volunteer can tell you what it was made of, when it was covered with drywall and white paint and what year it was restored. Robert McCarter has written that the single-building study is one of the best ways to approach Wright’s work; a visit to the Weltzheimer-Johnson House serves as a nice single-building study in the round (the written kind is also available for purchase at the house).
There are big plans for Wright events in Northeastern Ohio in the coming months and the staff at the Weltzheimer Johnson House is at the center of it all — stop by and they’ll put you in the loop.
The house is open for tours the first and third Sunday of each month and the (ok, I forgot to write it done, so double check) the last Saturday of each month. Tours at other times can be arranged in advance.
2 Comments
Nice write-up, thanks for pointing it out.
Hope you’re fairing ok today after your post-”Screw You” day.
Well, I’d be doing better if Congressional Democrats acted even slightly like Democrats — or like decent human beings who gave a damn.
On the other hand, since my wife and I were reliable, annual contributors, it’s nice that Pelosi has eliminated any desire to give money the Democratic Party; once I’m employed, we’ll have a bit more money in the Frank Lloyd Wright travel fund.
But yes, Weltzheimer-Johnson is very nice, worth a side trip or a two hour drive.