flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

The Usonian Inn, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired motor lodge, is on the market for $665,000

Hotel Facilities

The Usonian Inn, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired motor lodge, is on the market for $665,000

The Usonian Inn proudly displays many Wright-inspired characteristics, the most prominent of which is the use of cantilevered overhangs.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | March 30, 2016

Photo Credit:  Teemu08, Wikimedia Commons 

For any horror movie fans or aspiring horror filmmakers out there, having an inn of your own would provide the perfect canvas for reenacting your favorite horror moments, such as the shower scene from "Psycho" or “Here’s Johnny!” from "The Shining" (come to think of it, if you ever find yourself in a scenario reminiscent of a horror movie, stay away from the bathroom). But for one particular inn that just hit the market, it isn’t just horror movie buffs that might be interested in making the $665,000 purchase, but fans of architecture, as well.

The Usonian Inn, which was previously known as the Rest Haven Motel (which sounds like a name that could have been taken directly from an old horror movie), is an 11-room motor lodge in Spring Green, Wis., that was constructed in 1952. What makes this particular inn noteworthy is that Jesse C. Caraway, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the structure.

As Curbed.com reports, the Park Inn in Mason City, Iowa, is the only hotel still in existence that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, but The Usonian Inn proudly displays many Wright-inspired characteristics. The most prominent of which is without question the use of cantilevered overhangs.

The V-shaped building was one of the first to use aluminum siding, which was provided by Reynolds Metals for free as a promotional tool, and was also once considered for a feature in Life magazine. Currently, the inn is listed on the State and National Register of Historic places.

And don’t let the old horror trope of haunted or creepy inns scare you away, the Usonian Inn has undergone more than a few facelifts in an effort to keep the structure looking young. In 1992, the inn’s grounds were freshly landscaped and the current owners, Carolina and Theo Dursina, have provided significant upgrades, as well, such as the addition of sustainable fixtures and double-glazed windows and a new roof.

While the $665,000 price tag certainly isn’t cheap, the building’s unique history and quality location near Spring Green, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin home and studio, and the Wisconsin River do make for an intriguing purchase.

Related Stories

| May 30, 2018

Accelerate Live! talk: From micro schools to tiny houses: What’s driving the downsizing economy?

In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), micro-buildings design expert Aeron Hodges, AIA, explores the key drivers of the micro-buildings movement, and how the trend is spreading into a wide variety of building typologies.

| May 24, 2018

Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer

In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.

Hotel Facilities | May 4, 2018

Retro hotel is inspired by Spaghetti Westerns

There’s two types of people in this world: those who like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and those who are wrong.

Hotel Facilities | Apr 27, 2018

Hotel Zachary opens next to Chicago’s Wrigley Field

Stantec Architecture and Studio K Creative designed the project.

Hotel Facilities | Apr 25, 2018

15-story Cambria Hotel opens in Philadelphia

DAS Architects designed the project.

Hotel Facilities | Apr 13, 2018

BIG’s Audemars Piguet hotel des Horlogers allows guests to ski down the roof

The 75,000-sf hotel is currently under construction.

Hotel Facilities | Apr 3, 2018

Downtown Seattle receives new flagship Embassy Suites in Pioneer Square

The hotel brings 282 suites to Seattle’s oldest neighborhood.

Hotel Facilities | Mar 6, 2018

A New Hampshire college offers student housing as hotel rooms during the summer

The opening of a new residence hall could help with Plymouth State University’s hospitality marketing. 

Hotel Facilities | Feb 28, 2018

Sheldon Chalet is Denali National Park’s first and only luxury hotel

Decades in the making, the chalet is located within 10 miles of Denali’s summit.

Hotel Facilities | Feb 13, 2018

6 trends shaping smart hotels

From real-time guest feedback to AI-driven hyper-personalization, the hotel of the future will emphasize service, convenience, authenticity, and just the right amount of technology.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021