Of the 12 buildings in Ohio designed by the renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Weltzheimer/Johnson House in Oberlin is one of only two Wright homes open to the public. Tours of this "classic" Usonian design are available twice a month through the Allen Memorial Art Museum of Oberlin College.
 
First Usonian in Ohio
Completed in 1950 of red brick and redwood, the Weltzheimer/Johnson house was the first Usonian built in Ohio. The low, L-shaped home features an open main living/dining area separated from an adjoining kitchen by narrow brick pillars. Three small bedrooms and a corner studio in the opposite wing are accessed from a gallery hallway.
 
Wright accepted the project after repeated requests by Margaret Boesche Weltzheimer, a master's student at Oberlin College with a family of six. Problems and changes during construction eventually stretched the Weltzheimers' stated building budget of $15,000 to over $50,000.
 
Design and Function
The original view through the full-length windows and glass doors that form the south wall was to an apple orchard toward the rear of the narrow 3-acre lot. The globe-shaped fascia ornamentation and unique cutouts in the clerestory panels are said to reflect the apple shape.

Interlocking fretwork in the redwood ceiling panels of the main living area joins rectangular reliefs in the roof overhangs to provide additional design interest. Wright's signature built-in furniture and shelving add to the simple functionality of this larger-than-average Usonian.
 
Secondary Ownership
After Margaret Weltzheimer died, two interim owners held the property for several years. Ellen Johnson, an art professor at Oberlin College, bought the house in 1968 and partially restored their remodeling efforts. Johnson donated the house to Oberlin College after her death in 1992. It has since been used as a guest house and site for college events.
 
For more information on tours of the Weltzheimer/Johnson house, visit www.oberlin.edu/amam/flwright.html,
e-mail wjhouse@oberlin.edu or telephone 440-775-8665.
 
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