Usonia, New York: Building a Community with Frank Lloyd Wright

by Roland Reisley, John Timpane, Martin Filler (Foreword)

Usonia, New York is the story of a group of idealistic men and women who, following WWII, enlisted Frank Lloyd Wright to design and help them build a cooperative utopian community near Pleasantville, NY. Through both historic memorabilia and contemporary color photos, this book reveals the still-thriving community based on concepts Wright advocated in his Broadacre City proposals. Over the years, thousands of architects, scholars, planners, and students have visited the community, but no book has yet appeared on this remarkable site. Reisley, one of the original members of Usonia (and still a resident), has written the first full account to illuminate the events, problems, and passions of a democratic group of people developing a designed environment an hour from New York City and the ups and downs of working with America's most famous -and most famously volatile-architect.

Genres: Architecture

192 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Mike Violano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usonia New York chronicles the creation and development of a community of Frank Lloyd Wright designed and inspired homes in a town in Westchester county New York called Pleasantville. The books describes in words, drawings and photographs a vast collection of Wright’s Usonian houses in harmony with nature. Between 1948 and 1956, 44 homes were built; three more were added in 1963.
This inspiring story tells of young urban families, including some returning vets from World War II, with a shared dream of owning a modern affordable home in the suburbs. The families set out together from apartment life to create a unique cooperative community where all would share in the planning and even the construction of homes, roads and recreation areas.

Each home site was one circular acre. Home costs, which often ran over the estimates, ranged from $30,000 to $80,000 with expansive windowed living rooms and relatively small bedrooms and kitchens by today’s standards. Houses also featured radiant heating under red concrete floors.

On the fiftieth anniversary 250 former and current residents, children, grandchildren and architects joined in the celebration of Usonia. The book concludes with the personal recollections and memorabilia of the author Roland Reisley and his relationship and meetings with Frank Lloyd Wright. A must read for any devoted fan of Wright and his Usonian architecture for the masses.

[Christian Stafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the community formed and struggles had in doing so