Frank Lloyd Wright in the South

A visit to Rosenbaum House, the only Wright-designed home open for tours in the entire southeastern US

This is my second pilgrimage to a Frank Loyd Wright home. The first was a visit to Fallingwater many years ago when I was pregnant with my now high-school aged second daughter.  We drove nearly 10 hours to visit that house and it’s remains one of my fondest memories.

A visit to Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA with my husband, daughter and another on the way.

When I learned that the Rosenbaum House, another one of Wright’s designs, is the only Wright-designed house open for tours in the entire southeastern US and the only Wright structure in Alabama, I knew we had to make the trip. Considering its uniqueness, I felt fortunate that Florence, Alabama is only a 4-hour drive from Atlanta.

As we pulled up to the small ticket building/gift shop across the road from the property, the first thing I noticed was a neighbor mowing their lawn directly across the street from the historic home.  I couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like to live so close to this iconic piece of history.

Books, puzzles and other small items in the gift shop, the main entrance to Rosenbaum House and the front exterior.

We paid our admission fee ($10/adult $5/student) and perused the small gift shop while we waited for our guided tour. The tour guide led us through the property and gave us a brief history of the family and introduction to the home and then let us explore the rooms and grounds on our own (which I loved).

Main entrance leads to the central living space with adjacent study (the office was my favorite room -- I loved how it was tucked away but still completely connected to the main living area).

We learned that the land and money to build the home were given to Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum as a wedding gift from Stanley’s parents in an effort to keep them close to home.  The young couple were familiar with Wright's work and commissioned him to design and build the house in 1939. They had a budget of about $8000 (it ultimately cost $14,000 to build).

The dining area and orignal kitchen. The first picture on the second row shows the entranceway for the addition which included a larger kitchen and bunk room.

The home is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian style, which aimed to create affordable, functional and stylish homes for middle-class families. The original floorpan provided 1,540 square feet but when the Rosenbaum’s had their fourth child, they asked Wright to design an extension including a bunk room and larger kitchen. The added space is an extremely rare example of a Wright property that has an addition and one that was also designed by the architect himself.

Top row: A hallway leads to the living quarters. Bottom Row: The addition features a bunkroom and kitchen.

The family lived in the house for nearly 60 years when Mildred moved into a nursing home.  A city inspector later recommend demolishing the home due to years of termite and water damage. But, the mayor of Florence, Alabama and its citizens took on the restoration project, transforming the historic property into a museum for all to enjoy.

The front exterior, back patio and interior courtyard.

For more information including current hours and admission fees visit www.wrightinalabama.com.

The Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama designed by Frank Llyoyd Wright.