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On this last day of 2007 the new driveway at the north end is finished, and the workers have until the end of January 2008 to clean up the site and move on. It's unbelievable to the neighbors that the crew was able to pour the concrete in December, considering how bad the weather was. We saw the crew shoveling snow (with hand shovels) off the prepared bed in order to get the concrete poured. Good thing concrete heats up as it cures! The two photos show the new driveway. The crews working on the south side of the Martin House are still working almost daily, even in the cold and snow.
Happy New Year -- just imagine what excitement is in store for us at the Martin House Complex in 2008!
We received a letter this week that told us the House had 20,000 visitors this year -- that's up from 18,000 last year. The Shopping Gala, held the first weekend of December, was very successful. I worked in the gift shop for a few hours, and people were buying everything in sight.
We are seriously considering putting in a driveway, which would entail our destroying our garden space next to the house. Since we have no back yard -- only this side yard -- we would have no more lawn or gardens. But, at least, we would be able to park near our house on weekends when we have groceries, etc. to carry. We'll probably wait until the tour entrance/exit moves to the Jewett Parkway entrance before we make a final decision. Maybe the parking situation will ease because more tourists will park on Jewett rather than on Summit. Anyone know a good architect to help us design a driveway and gardens that will look great????
We didn't see much progress on the construction this week, and the House was not open for tours on Thanksgiving Day, so it was quiet. But you can tell that it's a holiday weekend -- there are cars from all over the US here today. So far -- Virginia, District of Columbia, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
The Wisteria Shop, now located in the Carriage House, is being decorated for holiday shopping. They have published a new brochure highlighting their new line of gift packages -- very cool. The packages are boxed in archival boxes with metal edges. Check them out at The Wright Gifts.
Today's pictures are of the great progress on the north lot. All the pallets of tiles and bricks that were there last week have been moved, and the ground has been leveled. Obviously the driveway to the garage is going in. What a difference this will make for the neighbors -- no more mud and broken, blocked-off sidewalks! The south facade is completely changed, what with the wall being moved back into its original spot, and the brick retaining walls being almost finished. What surprises me is how the house seems to be so much closer to the sidewalk than it used to. It is so different from looking at the old photos of the complex. Just imagine how it will be when the construction fence comes down and you can really feel a part of the house and gardens.I found out today about an exciting event being planned for next summer, to come right down our block. Stay tuned for more information and photos -- even the Martin House folks don't know about this one yet, I'll bet.So far today (Saturday) we've had visitors from New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ontario. I also saw a car with Arizona plates around the corner, but I don't know if they were visiting the House or not.
Correction -- the bird I saw was a Cooper's hawk, not a peregrine falcon. A neighbor has some amazing videos of this hawk, which has set up shop in a pine tree down the street for the last four years. So, even though the construction continues unabated, wildlife still flourishes all around us!
After drilling all the geothermal wells, construction workers are now digging huge trenches and laying in some kind of flexible dark-colored pipe. Maybe they're connecting the wells and running them to the powerplant in the house. New shipments of roof tile and bricks were received this week. I'm uploading two photos -- one of the new materials, and one of the construction workers "in the trenches." It's funny how we focus on the mud and mess, and forget sometimes to just stare at the structures and enjoy their serenity.
As I approached the northeast corner of Jewett Parkway and Summit Avenue this morning, coming from the Park, I noticed the bird feeder just inside the bushes at the corner was swarming with sparrows. All of a sudden, from behind me over my right shoulder, a peregrine falcon swooped down and dive-bombed the bird feeder. The entire corner exploded with seemingly hundreds of sparrows flying away in fright. I couldn't believe how that bird buzzed that feeder. The falcon failed to grab any of the smaller birds, and went on to land high atop a tree just to the east. There he sat, eyeing that feeder. I've seen red-tail hawks in the Park, but never saw a falcon swooping like that in our neighborhood before. Keep an eye out for it -- it's gorgeous!
What were those workmen doing at the north lot at 7 AM on Halloween? And what's missing in this shot of the north lot? Take a close look -- the construction fence has disappeared! This is a huge sign of progress, and welcomed by all neighbors -- especially the folks who live directly next door. The noise and dirt have impacted them the most. This lot has been filled with construction materials, bricks, and huge trucks and machines for months, maybe years, now. Maybe there will be sod planted before the snow falls -- wouldn't that be a wonderful gift to all of us?
We were reminiscing today about what this all looked like 25 years ago, and then 10 years ago, and then just 5 years ago. We have seen many residents of the Barton House come and go. One young student planted a huge round flower garden right in the middle of the lot you see above. He tended it so carefully. And he held wonderful summer night parties on the south porch, with candles and soft music. And, there was a huge white lilac tree -- I think it's gone now, but maybe next spring we'll be surprised yet again.
Yesterday was a big day for the Barton House. After waiting years, its urn was replaced. I have lived across the street from the Barton House for 25 years, and had no idea how beautiful it would look with the urn in place. Enjoy.
The drilling rig is gone -- all the wells are completed. There are a total of 50 wells, each 350 feet deep! The geothermal system will heat and cool the entire complex without the need for any intrusive outdoor equipment. Everything is underground. At the Volunteers Breakfast this morning, two volunteers won, as door prizes, overnight stays in the Gardener's Cottage -- what a terrific prize. The volunteers were treated to a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Fontana Boathouse, a recently-completed Wright-designed working rowing boathouse on Buffalo's waterfront. After the tour, they went around the corner for breakfast at the Buffalo Yacht Club, where they were treated to an amazing view of an October lake effect rainstorm, with six-foot waves crashing over the harbor breakwall. Thank heaven it was lake effect rain, and not that other stuff that our beautiful lake treats us to....
Seven of the historic urns have been installed outside the house. They will be filled with plants next spring, following Wright's plan for the floriculture of the complex.
The photo posted today is of the front door of Martinview Cottage, and in the door glass you can see the reflection of the Barton House (the date on the photo is wrong -- never did figure out how to work that camera). The best view in the city -- don't you think?
This weekend is "Doors Open Niagara," when folks can get free mini-tours. The Martin House had 787 visitors yesterday! It is 11 AM, and the House opens at 1 PM today, but already there are people walking around looking to get in. The construction continues -- I'm uploading a photo of the drilling equipment that starts up at 7:15 daily and runs until 3 PM. Thank goodness I don't have to be home during the day! Even with all that noise, our garden has been visited this weekend by a number of tiny wrens. They hide on the ground underneath the clematis and trumpet vines, and climb up and down our fence posts. We weren't able to get any good photos of them -- they move so quickly.
One of the main attractions of the house we bought was that it was directly across the street from a decaying Frank Lloyd Wright compound -- the Darwin Martin House -- consisting at the time of two homes and a gardener's cottage. The other buildings of the complex, a pergola, carriage house, and conservatory, were long gone. You can look up the history of the site on any Wright site, or use the link below. Three apartment buildings that were built in the middle of the property by a previous owner to help pay taxes were still there and occupied. One day, before we moved into the house, I went over to prune the fence roses, and an elderly lady in one of the apartments yelled out her window to ask what I was doing -- my first introduction to the neighborhood. We bought the house from friends of ours, who wanted us to join the "happy homeowners' club." They were so right.
That was in 1983. Since then, the unbelievable has happened. A corporation was formed to restore the compound to its 1907 state. The apartment buildings have been torn down, and the pergola, the conservatory, and the carriage house rebuilt.
Construction this week consists of drilling who-knows-how-many geothermal wells in the lawn between the Martin House and the Barton House.
Soon I will post photos of the construction progress, winter scenes of the complex, and more.
Links to what I see "Wright" across the street:
Darwin Martin House Official Site
General Contractor's Site (click on WebCam)
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