Frank Lloyd Wright's Bachman-Wilson House - Bentonville, Arkansas

The Bachman-Wilson House is a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1953 for a family of three near Millstone River in Somerset County, New Jersey.  The home is now open to the public to enjoy and learn about the architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright and is part of the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.  The home is one of about 60 Usonian homes that were built between 1936 and 1959.  The Usonian homes were an effort by Wright to build economical homes that were both functional and pleasing to live in.

The home is 1800 square feet and is built using an open concept. On the ground floor, you have the living space, dining space, a small kitchen, and a guest bedroom.  Upstairs the home has two bedrooms, each with their own outdoor balcony.  There is one full bathroom on the second floor that is shared by the full home and a small bathroom on the first floor without a shower or tub.  The furniture is built into the design of the home and is designed on a 4-foot by 4-foot grid that is the basis of the design of the full house.

So how did a home that was built in New Jersey end up in Northwest Arkansas?  In 1988 Lawrence and Sharon Tarantino purchased and restored the home in its original location.  The location was prone to flooding and so after a number of floods they put the home up for sale with the condition that the home is moved to a location that would preserve the home.  In 2013 Crystal Bridges acquired the home and deconstructed the home to be shipped to Bentonville, Arkansas.  In 2015 the home was reconstructed on its current site and is open to the public for a self-guided tour.

They do not allow photography inside the house so you will have to visit (or visit youtube) to see the inside of the home.  The inside has been restored with authentic furniture and upholstery throughout the house.   It is pretty amazing to see how narrow the halls in the house are, they were barely wide enough for me to walk down them without my shoulders brushing against the walls.  The stairs to the second floor are also not designed for the amount of traffic that goes through the home so your tour is limited to the first floor.  You still learn a great deal about the methods Frank Lloyd Wright used to design these homes.

Upon entry into the museum, you will want to get a ticket for the house tour.  The tickets do not cost anything but keep the flow of people through the home at a pace that allows you to enjoy it when you visit.  You will meet a docent in the carport who will offer you an audio tour handset that will tell you about nine points of interest throughout the house.  Overall the tour will take about 20 minutes and is well worth the time.