Randall Fawcett House
Encyclopedia
The Randall Fawcett House is a Frank Lloyd Wright
designed Usonian home in Los Banos
, California
. The home was designed in 1955 and completed in 1961.
The original owners, Randall "Buck" and Harriet Fawcett, met Wright while taking an architecture course at Stanford University
. Buck Fawcett was a star college football player, selected by the Chicago Bears
in the 1944 NFL Draft
. Instead, he returned to work the Los Banos farm that his father had homesteaded, after the patriarch became seriously ill with valley fever
.
The couple's daughter, Lynn and her husband, Henry Whiting II (an architectural writer), live in the Wright designed Archie Boyd Teater Studio in Bliss, Idaho
The Fawcett House is one of three Usonians in California's central valley (the Dr. George Ablin House in Bakersfield
and the Robert G. Walton House in Modesto
), with this one being in the most unlikely of locationsfarm and dairy land well beyond the outskirts of Santa Nella
better known for Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant nearby on Interstate 5
than as a mecca of modern architecture.
Constructed of battered (sloped) concrete block, the plan is sort of "H" or "K" plan with wings at 60/120 degree angles. The broad copper fascia and horizontal roof line lay flat and long like the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of crop fields the house rests on. The yard is beautifully landscaped with a Koi
pond and swimming pool.
The house has a shallow, circular flower planter, more commonly found in Wright designs of 50 years before, on top of one of the walls near the entrance. The hearth’s 12’ wide fireplace rises tall and grand to the left of the entrance. Living spaces incorporate 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, open plan living room, dining room, & kitchen formalized by ornamental screens, a utility-store room and central laundry.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
designed Usonian home in Los Banos
Los Banos, California
Los Banos is a city in Merced County, California, near the junction of State Route 152 and Interstate 5. Los Banos is located southwest of Merced, at an elevation of 118 feet . The population was 35,972 at the 2010 census, up from 25,869 at the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The home was designed in 1955 and completed in 1961.
The original owners, Randall "Buck" and Harriet Fawcett, met Wright while taking an architecture course at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Buck Fawcett was a star college football player, selected by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1944 NFL Draft
1944 NFL Draft
The 1944 National Football League Draft was held on April 19, 1944.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
. Instead, he returned to work the Los Banos farm that his father had homesteaded, after the patriarch became seriously ill with valley fever
Coccidioidomycosis
Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides immitis or C. posadasii. It is endemic in certain parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and northwestern Mexico.C...
.
The couple's daughter, Lynn and her husband, Henry Whiting II (an architectural writer), live in the Wright designed Archie Boyd Teater Studio in Bliss, Idaho
The Fawcett House is one of three Usonians in California's central valley (the Dr. George Ablin House in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
and the Robert G. Walton House in Modesto
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
), with this one being in the most unlikely of locationsfarm and dairy land well beyond the outskirts of Santa Nella
Santa Nella, California
Santa Nella is a census-designated place in Merced County, California, USA. It is located east-northeast of Pacheco Pass, at an elevation of 154 feet . At the 2010 census, Santa Nella had a population of 1,380 people and has one elementary school.The town is located by Interstate 5, at the...
better known for Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant nearby on Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in California
Interstate 5 is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of California. It begins at the Mexico – United States border at the San Ysidro crossing, goes north across the length of California and crosses into Oregon south of the Medford-Ashland metropolitan...
than as a mecca of modern architecture.
Constructed of battered (sloped) concrete block, the plan is sort of "H" or "K" plan with wings at 60/120 degree angles. The broad copper fascia and horizontal roof line lay flat and long like the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of crop fields the house rests on. The yard is beautifully landscaped with a Koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
pond and swimming pool.
The house has a shallow, circular flower planter, more commonly found in Wright designs of 50 years before, on top of one of the walls near the entrance. The hearth’s 12’ wide fireplace rises tall and grand to the left of the entrance. Living spaces incorporate 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, open plan living room, dining room, & kitchen formalized by ornamental screens, a utility-store room and central laundry.
External links
- Frank Lloyd Wright Fawcett House
- Summary: Listings and information about Frank Lloyd Wright's California buildings.
- "Harriet and Randall Fawcett House" Waymark
- Randell Fawcett House Los Banos California 1955
- WRIGHT ON THE MARKET The Harriet and Randall Fawcett Residence
- Photos of the Fawcett House on Flickr