Unique Frank Lloyd Wright home available … for now

Wisconsin listing already pending days after hitting market

If you’re reading this, you may already be behind the eight-ball when it comes to buying a rare Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home.

The Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin house at 1425 Valley View Drive was listed for $725,000, Crain’s reported. It was the first time the home was put on the market since it was built in 1954.

The house belongs to a trust in the name of Karen Johnson Boyd, great-granddaughter of Samuel Curtis Johnson, who founded SC Johnson. Boyd died in 2016, while her widower died four years later.

The six-bedroom, six-bathroom home is sited on more than three acres — the home itself spans about 5,000 square feet. It was built in the Usonian style, meant to create a “New World” character, and is one of the largest Wright designed in the style.

The bluff property overlooks Root River, Colonial Park and Racine CC. The home’s great room is cantilevered over the ravine, while a guest room is on the second floor, as is a balcony that overlooks both the great room and the ravine.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

By signing up, you agree to TheRealDeal Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Re/Max Newport Elite’s Anthony Veranth has the listing and has been preparing interested parties for the possibility the home could go quick. Within three days, Veranth claimed to have about a dozen showings scheduled, telling Crain’s he didn’t expect the property to last until last weekend.

As of this weekend, the listing is still online, but the status of the property has been changed to “pending.” That means nothing has closed yet, but an offer is being considered, giving architecture fans a limited window to try and snag the estate.

While the property has been well-maintained, Vernanth has been telling prospective buyers about needed updates and roof repairs to the property. Overall, the listing agent believes total investment in the property could hit $1 million, including the purchase price.

Read more

— Holden Walter-Warner