Elam House

Austin, Minnesota

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Elam House is located in Austin, Minnesota. It is the second-largest Usonian home he ever built at 3,500 square feet with three floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, two living rooms with tall ceilings, a signature cantilevered balcony, terrazzo and slate flooring, and over 100 windows, resulting in passive solar heating. It has massive limestone piers that were trucked in from a quarry near his Wisconsin Taliesin.

The iconic house traces its origins to 1948, when S.P. “Pearl” Elam and his wife visited Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin and expressed interest in Wright designing a house for them on a lot in South Minnesota. Wright took on the project immediately, designing it entirely from photographs of the lot.

The relationship between Wright and Elam was one of friction, with disputes over the kitchen window and the heating system. However, the result was another Wright masterpiece.

Today, the home operates as a B&B with an exclusive tour for overnight guests.

Rental Images