Frank Lloyd Wright's usonian style home sells for the first time

The Frank Lloyd Wright design, in Los Banos, California, is not a typical farmhouse, with its angular forms and tilted roofline.

In 1961, Wright founded Fawcett Farm for farmers Randall and Harriet Fawcett, and their four young children, in the fertile San Joaquin Valley. While it's designed stylishly, it is perfect for a rural lifestyle.

The landmark property built in Wright s Usonian style aims to connect its interior to its surroundings and create a sense of space inside. The property boasts an adjacent outdoor pool in the same angular style of the house, as well as gardens, and is surrounded by about 76 acres of arable land.

In California, a John Marsh Davis-designed home for the very first time is coming up for sale.

Fawcett Farm is regarded as one of Wright's greatest examples of usonian homes. It has an angular design to avoid boxy rooms or hallways, which make people feel confined, said Kathryn Smith, a Frank Lloyd Wright scholar hired by the selling agent to write a describe of the home.

The ideal life would be to live in farmland on acreage where light, fresh air and unlimited views would instill freedom, Wright said.

The house has been on the market for just the second time in its history. The building is constructed in prairie style, with long horizontal lines that echo flat prairie landscapes, and features concrete blocks, steel, and glass. It boasts a sweeping, open-plan living space with clerestory windows and glazed walkways. All rooms are clad in mahogany paneling, with access to a garden and countryside views.

The residence and surrounding gardens afford an island of peace rising from crops and merging with the distant mountain views on the far horizon, said Crosby Doe, the agent who sold the property. Its concrete floor flows seamlessly into the entry and back walkways. They have a distinct concrete stain that blends with the Central Valley soil and dust. The most grandest space is the sitting area, which features high-up, patterned cutout paneling, a fireplace with stepped sides and custom-made seating, which is part of a collection of original furniture built-ins characteristic of Wright's designs. There is an original kitchen with rainforest-green stone in the bathrooms and a primary bedroom with a corner fireplace.

The property is surrounded by a striking, bespoke entrance gate and opens onto landscaped palm gardens with a koi pond, which was added a later date. The original interior features include wooden lighting with chevron cut-outs, triangular skylights, and stained-glass art.

The property is pristine, having undergone a years-long restoration, including its grounds, in 2019. It was carried out by its second owners in collaboration with Eric Lloyd Wright, Frank's grandson who is an architect.

The home is 4,041 square feet and has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms. The property has gardens and is situated on 76 acres of farmland.

There is a large, detached workshop, a swimming pool, a koi pond and a Japanese garden on the grounds.

In addition, there is a semi-detached museum showing photos of the house under construction, the historic fabric of the house that was replaced such as bathroom fixtures and a sample of the original living room carpet, Doe said.

The property is located 8 miles south of the city of Los Banos, 1.5 hours from Monterey on the coast. It is part of the Merced County region, located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of California's Central Valley, known for its agricultural production.

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