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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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