The Crimson Beech
| Catherine and William Cass House ("The Crimson Beech") | |
|---|---|
 | |
    | |
| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Usonian |
| Location | Staten Island, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°34′30″N 74°08′32″W / 40.575131°N 74.142319°W |
| Construction started | 1959 |
| Governing body | Private, designated a New York City landmark in 1990.[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Frank Lloyd Wright |
The Crimson Beech (also known as the Cass House) is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright located in the Lighthouse Hill neighborhood of the New York City borough of Staten Island. Its original owners, Catherine and William Cass, had it manufactured by Marshall Erdman in kit form in Madison, Wisconsin and shipped to Staten Island where it was erected in 1959.[2] It is the only residence designed by Wright in New York City and one of eleven Marshall Erdman Prefab Houses that were built.[3] The particular model is known as the Prefab #1.
The house features a combined kitchen and family room, a sunken living room with a cathedral ceiling, and a gallery that leads to four bedrooms.[4] All interior walls are paneled in Philippine mahogany, with raised horizontal bands set about a foot apart.[4]
The house is a long and low L shape, with wide hip roofs.[2] The exterior, red brick and largely clad in cream-colored Masonite, is similarly striped with redwood battens that emphasize the low-slung lines. The front of the house has one story, while the rear, because of the sloping site, has two.[4] The roof is made of terne.[4]
At the time of construction, the components of the house cost $20,000 and assembly cost a further $35,000.[4] The house was declared a landmark in August 1990[1] and the original owners resided there until 1999 when it was sold. It remains in private hands.[3]
See also
[edit]- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Staten Island
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Richmond County, New York
References
[edit]- ^ a b "The Crimson Beech (Cass House) (landmark designation report)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ a b Bernstein, Fred A. (Dec 18, 2005). "Living With Frank Lloyd Wright". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ a b Hall, Trish (Oct 24, 1999). "Habitats/Lighthouse Hill, Staten Island; A Landmark 1959 Home With All the Wright Stuff". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ a b c d e Kahn, Eve M. (Mar 24, 1988). "One Wright Dream on Staten Island". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
External links
[edit]- External Views of the House
- Article about the house reprinted from the Staten Island Advance
- A Frank Lloyd Wright House In New York City
- Landmarks Preservation Commission application
- Latourette, Lighthouses and Wright
- Photo of Crimson Beech
- Another photo of Crimson Beech
- Interview with Cretellas (owners since 2004) and both exterior and interior photographs
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