The Falling Water House

The documentary film about one of Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest masterpieces.
In 1935, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a country house for the Kaufmann family over
a small stream in rural southwestern Pennsylvania , 43 miles (69 km) southeast of Pittsburgh,built in 1936 -1939
Fallingwater was the family's weekend home from 1937 to 1963.
In 1963, Kaufmann, Jr. donated the property to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
In 1964, it was opened to the public as a museum.
Nearly 6 million people have visited the house as of January 2008.
About 135,000 visitors per year.

[@jillnicoletti6181]

My mother Mrs. Jean Grove worked at the house for over 18 years giving tours. She love it and told me many stories about the house and the famous people who came to study it. We lived twenty minutes from the house, I my sister got to go several times to see the beauty of it. My mom has passed on now but seeing this video has brought back my found memories of her and this beautiful place we used to go. Jill Nicoletti.

[@wueen]

Beautiful and sweet memories for you🌹

[@onfleek912]

My ex husband who was an architect introduced me to this . We almost went there in 1991. I feel a twinge in my🖤

[@corymartin9841]

Sorry to hear about your mom in local to this place Nd never been to it would love to tho

[@arlenegojocco7518]

Wow, your mom was so fortunate to have worked in that house!!! I could only dream to even be able to see it...

[@nhatnam0512]

Best moments sir

[@rosehuber1997]

I saw this house when I was five years old and it inspired such a sense of wonder in me that I still remember it after sixty-five years.!

[@kaynemccully5266]

Eyes first solid

[@kaynemccully5266]

I said I first saw it when I was about eight and have seen it many times since then because I live in Pennsylvania not too far from here

[@rosehuber1997]

@@kaynemccully5266 we traveled from Michigan to visit relatives in Maryland and my uncle took us to see it.

[@mylifeinanutshell6931]

I totally agree...been a favorite of mine 40 years now.

[@ronwhite8324]

The music in this documentary is both haunting and beautiful at once.

[@jakebe4915]

And not overpowering where it's impossible to hear the spoken words

[@alex182618]

Wow! The old documentaries are so much better than modern, because they are slow and thorough.

[@lekoos]

Less is More.

[@madesanur]

Alex Koltsov but if I done

[@jorgesantos736]

Alex Koltsov rc be rev,hdyf

[@joycampbell6157]

I agree 100%

[@tomwade6892]

Alex Koltsov coo Old converse

[@PaulJersey]

I am a civil engineer, but always wanted to be an architect. This man was a genius.

[@garolopez887]

Agreed !!!! He was able to work with nature rather than against it.

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

I'm old, and in my childrens' encyclopedia in 1960 there was a black and white photo of Fallingwater. It was a British book, and I was raised in Britain. I promised myself I would visit that place one day, and when I was fifty, I did. It was everything I had ever hoped it would be and more. Even a child saw it was something very special, even from one photograph, so far away. Enchanting.

[@mementomatrix]

bullshit

[@xertx1177]

@@mementomatrix ok

[@Blu3Jao]

@@sperlongatours calling bullshit on that.

[@buckolsen6470]

The first architectural job Mr Wright got at about age 20 was to build a windmill on his Uncle's farm near Spring Green, WI to pump water from his well to his livestock. Uncle Jones wanted a steel windmill that would last 20 years, which was twice as long as the ordinary steel windmill lasted back in the 1890's. Instead, Mr Wright designed & had built a wooden windmill that Uncle Jones' neighboring farmers said wouldn't last a year. However, as of 2016, the windmill still stands & still works.

[@RDnAC]

Genius

[@angeldelbarrio9209]

wow 😍

[@MrPnew1]

Thanks for that. Here it is en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet_Windmill

[@kimthompson6686]

It also has had numerous renovations costing more than anyone would spend on a windmill.

[@kevinkral4568]

@@kimthompson6686 Perhaps closer to the truth to say: *completely rebuilt* (as of 2010, if memory serves). Regards, Kev

[@lovebug9696]

the inside is spectacular. ive toured it three times

[@ho2cultcha]

i visited FW over 40 yrs ago when i was 14. it was a life-changing event for me. i've never - before nor after - seen such a beautiful residence!

[@tomsortore8301]

I remember walking in for the first time in 2000 and had to hold back tears that house will talk to your soul!!!!

[@melojordans23]

Insane considering when it was built. It still is modern even by today's standards almost a century later.

[@polarbearsrus6980]

RIGHT, HE WAS SO FAR AHEAD OF HIS TIME....

[@GH-oi2jf]

Melancholy - Modernism is not about fashion.

[@thornbird6768]

Good architecture stands the test of time 👍🏻

[@Methilde]

It seems that you know all the wonderful houses in the world to said it's the "best". However I love most of the architectures of F. Loyd Wright.

[@epichourtime]

How is it modern? A few strait lines?

[@renafielding945]

There is a running creek at the bottom of my yard. I can hear it when the windows are open. Water makes everything magical.

[@maxs8880]

Except Champlain Towers in Miami

[@judahtribe7]

It sure is until they overflow

[@phyllishamilton165]

This was produced in 1987, prior to the complete reconstruction of the foundation and overall structure of Fallingwater. The house is now renewed and will be stable and just as inspiring for future generations to enjoy it.

[@supermash1]

There's a good video about the restoration here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6HCoGWagtiml5Y

[@sloanchessman5783]

This house is absolutely stunning, and the man behind its design was simply brilliant! ❤️

[@williamringler4949]

I've lived in Slippery Rock PA for most of my life and used to hike around Portersville PA all the time and when you stand at the lower part of the fall's and look at this house it looks so perfect and in perpetual balance with nature, so peaceful.

[@Rosfilis]

I had the privilege to visit it in 2012 and it was better than I could possibly imagine... Fallingwater a masterpiece of architecture!

[@darensmith5270]

It was a joy to work at Kaufman's Department store! They treated their employees with respect and paid very well! As a college student I really enjoyed working for the Kaufman family!

[@KerrieRedgate]

This house has never dated. It’s almost Zen: simplicity and harmony. And what an extraordinary gift to us from the Kaufmans’ son.

[@jankypop-a-matic58]

Indeed! 😁

[@matthewlambert8789]

Very humble feeling in this location

[@riverside321]

Should have kept it Like giving away the golden goose, why

[@thomaspayne6866]

Yea. Uh huh. Sure. 🙄

[@riverside321]

@My Email so you buy and live in a house just to give away so your common man can see , ok

[@laurae8324]

I loved hearing from the men who actually supervised the build. I was also surprised not surprised that the Kaufman’s son was an architect studying under FLW. This is the best FLW video I’ve seen.

[@MicaRayan]

It looks so elegant. The house on the waterfall is really a masterpiece. I love the idea that it has this resort-style ambient or at least a retreat house environment. Love FLW

[@montanamtngirl]

Fallingwaterwater is absolutely amazing. The most famous house in the world! I've been there many times in my life, and my family used to have a cabin not too far from there. I always enjoy visiting this masterpiece, and still notice new things every time I visit. There is also another Frank Lloyd Wright House in the vicinity of Fallingwater called Kentuck Knob. The Ken Burns documentary on Frank Lloyd Wright is a must-see!!

[@cattfouts7636]

INCREDIBLE!!!..

[@kimthompson6686]

What a generous gift this man gave the world, donating it so the public could enjoy it. How many of you would do the same if you had such a work of art?

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

3

[@evansquilt]

The Conservancy used to have a little recruitment film narrated by Edgar Kaufmann Jr. It would end with something along the lines of "And I admired their work so much, I gave them my family home."

[@evansquilt]

@itserich Why yes, and they're called "The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy" - you know, the non-profit that owns the place?

[@rayvelez3736]

Been there a Dozen times, and I am still amazed with each visit...

[@hoffer54]

You are so fortunate! I had an opportunity to visit on a business trip once and did not take it, something I deeply regret many years later. On my bucket list for sure!

[@georgewu5]

I only finally saw it in 1988 after admiring it for years. George Wu, ARCHITECT, A.I.A., NCARB 2019-2-19

[@StroMedia]

This longer form style of documentary is rarely seen on broadcast channels today. This was very well done. Seeing those apprentices (Tafel, Mosher and Peters) was special. Bravo!

[@jjytwandrewayriss1979]

This house is remarkable. Frank Lloyd Wright was an uncompromising genius. From mind to paper in 3 hour! Amazing.

[@apatheticallyconcerned6574]

Videos like this make me remember my youth. Close ups of nature with somber, poetic music with philosophical commentary on even the most simple of things.

[@AfsanehYouTube]

We experience architecture through "space" and Frank Lloyd Wright got that.

[@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401]

A splendid documentary of an unique group of people who loved and preserved the Nature around them. So beautiful.

[@donloughrey1615]

True genius. I haven't been to 'Falling Waters' but I have been to 'Taliesin' and slept at the Historic park hotel in Mason City Iowa. Taliesin left me weak at the knees. It feels like home.

[@brandonburr4900]

I have also been to Taliesin. Live within driving distance and was curious about the mason city hotel? I assume another frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece? Thanks!

[@focusedfreebird]

this house is fabulous...went there and toured with my art class in high school! what a gem!

[@scasey1960]

This house is brilliant - will always be the case. We should all create such masterpieces.

[@in.himforever]

When I was...13... My parents took me to.... Falling Water.. house and I am still influenced by the way that this house.. speaks to..... you.. thank you

[@mlight6845]

A staircase goes down to the brook that allows ingress and egress of people, wind and sound. What a way to meet the client's interests!

[@Eclipse1369]

I can not effing believe I caught this on someone’s channel that has 1.3k members. This is an absolute GEM

[@markemyshibukawa9254]

Thank you EJ, Jr. for priceless gift for all to enjoy!

[@constructiontoday]

The Falling Water House is really awesome. I love this and will surely visit there Thanks for sharing...

[@Yahowah777]

The apprentice's voice blew me away. That's a deep voice.

[@springbloom5940]

Men used to be powerful and masculine. Today, he would just be toxic.

[@LynxSouth]

There used to be a LOT of men with deep voices. I started noticing a change in the early 90s, and it's gotten much more pronounced since then. I can't believe my eyes or ears sometimes, so many adult males in their 20s or 30s whose voices sound like 13-year-olds.

[@lysechrist1947]

So glad this popped into my feed. I accompanied my daughter’s New Wilmington High School class on a school field trip 38 years ago. This video brought back lovely memories of an exceptional experience in a house so uniquely designed it is impossible to forget even after so many years.

[@jennyhughes4474]

This made me very emotional: a stunning house in an incredible setting. Thank you.

[@austinteutsch]

While at the University of Arkansas in 1973, I took an an architectural class with one of Mr. Wright's students who worked on Falling Water. It was the greatest class I've ever taken and I went to see the home Mr. Wright designed in the Ozarks mountains outside of Fayetteville, Arkansas. I'm 66 here in 2021 and I swear I am gonna visit Falling Water before I die. I did become a carpenter in my lifetime all because of that class and the unbelieveable work of Frank Lloyd Wright.

[@epichourtime]

What is so unbelievable about it? Care to explain. I am an architectural consultant and this waterfall house is a JOKE.

[@dougsteel7414]

This is THE nicest building ever designed and the best environment integration I've ever seen. We should all have one

[@terrysellers6712]

THE MOST WONDERFUL THING I'VE EVER SEEN 😥!

[@WilliamSarokon]

This was how it was done so good. I miss these. Glad we have them .Thank you so much for posting this

[@Hi-RHES]

We need this remastered in hi-resolution

[@samyleigh3246]

Yes!

[@shir-neia2605]

That is a masterpiece, indeed! I’ve been there once, but want to go back, 100 times more!

[@marciaelliott8959]

Loved this doc!!! What a marvel it is, and was at the time! I love how he built the criticism into the stonework!! Hahaha!! He showed them!! Great documentary, I was wishing it was longer!!

[@eugeniozanda7230]

Simply a timeless masterpiece that will never go out of style...

[@thebob01]

I hope to see this beautiful home in person one day. Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius. Falling Water is truly a masterpiece!

[@christopheradams1598]

I have loved Frank Lloyd Wright and his buildings since middle school. He uplifts the spirit and his buildings open us to the world around. I ended up not building with stone, but with words. The first paper I wrote was about Wright. A companion book is Louis Sullivan's Kindergarten Chats.

[@georgewu5]

My teacher at the Cooper Union Evening school Henry Stone, architect, used to mention Kindergarten Chats every week. George Wu, ARCHITECT, A.I.A., NCARB 2019-2-19

[@davidrountree9326]

I saw this house back in 2003 not thinking it would be as amazing as it was in the books I first saw it . I can confirm that when I saw it in the flesh I was aghast nothing can prepare you for the impact this masterpiece has on you ! I am just so grateful to the Kaufman family that they gifted this house to the WPC so everyone can enjoy it .

[@avidfan3173]

Made in the same respect of a ken Burns documentary. Music & scenery is perfect. The apprentices that worked for Mr wright were of the old school type, They had values & respected Mr Wright. Not like in today's cut throat & stab you in the back society.

[@matttedeschi7532]

Gavin Marle Damn right

[@OngoingBox]

You should read some of FLW's letters. He's a complicated figure.

[@chuckperego2216]

Liked the film; love the house. But how much "respect" can the producers have had when they misspell the name of the house? It's "Fallingwater." It was thus on the original plans, now in the Library of Congress. Edit: this video was produced by WQED and they know the correct name; they never called it "Falling Water." So that name was used by the numbskull who posted their video on youtube. Really. If you claim to respect FLW and his work, you need to have even a scintilla of his attention to detail.

[@marymarysmarket3508]

@@OngoingBox and not a very scrupulous person.

[@dsatt57]

Oh, the cut throat & stab you in the back society existed back then too.

[@rondevous5685]

It’s the sort of thing you always want to do, but for one reason or another, keep putting off. On a picture-perfect autumn day in mid October, we drove to Fallingwater. It was a chilly Saturday morning, and the turning leaves were in full display. The ride there was magnificent; the return trip, with the sun behind us, would be even better. Ever since I first heard the name, Frank Lloyd Wright, and I learned of the futuristic home he’d designed that would rest on top of a waterfall, I’d wanted to see it. The very idea was crazy - like the mile-high skyscraper Wright had once proposed for the City of Chicago. While that plan remained an idea on paper, the house often referred to as “Wright’s Masterpiece” was real, had been lived in, and was only an hour’s drive away. What I wasn’t prepared for was the emotional connection I felt with the family. It began with the tour guide, who casually listed the rules we were to follow, and then in an almost off-hand manner, lowered her voice to almost a whisper and said, “As we enter the house, we will enter through the same door the family would have.” It still gives me chills. The tour group of 10 to 15 people entered in single file and in silence, almost tiptoeing like burglars invading someone's dwelling, cautiously moving about as if to not wake any ghosts that may be looming about. More than a house, it is the home of the Kaufmann family, and you arrive at a snapshot in time decades ago, where personal possessions lie about. It’s as if you’re walking through the home of your grandparents after they’ve passed. Photographs of smiling friends and family taken out on the terrace, or laughing in oddly dated bathing suits as they swim in the water that ceaselessly runs under the house, lend a sweet sadness to the experience. And although there are dozens of other people at different stages of the tour throughout the house,a respectful silence remains, amidst the ever-present soft background music of the waterfall. A visit to Fallingwater is an emotional experience unlike anything I’ve found when visiting museums or the buildings where the rich and famous have lived. I’m sure we’ll visit again, perhaps in spring time, when the Rhododendrons are in bloom.

[@Whale_Chum]

I’m a huge fan of FLW. This one is one of his finest! There are many intriguing stories about the construction of Falling Water.

[@sharonroberts4977]

.......I am Welsh , as was Frank and I will forever LOVE the forward thinking architecture built by this man !!! Fallingwater ...beautiful and for me , the Johnson Wax building is also just .... WOW!!! I have one of his books and it's not just his phenomenal architecture but the design of the furnishings and interiors ,that he also had a hand in , impressed me so much ........those office chairs ....!!!!

[@cahg3871]

That is a one of a kind home.Frank Lloyd Wright was a maverick in architecture and in life.

[@theresacarmen9847]

When I was an art student in the 60s a design class tooka field trip to Fallingwater before it opened to the public. It had a home feeling, no roped off areas only a guide. I was most surprised at how small and low ceilinged it was but comfortable ( except the furniture was very uncomfortable).

[@daflotsam]

This is one of those places that is even better in person. The angle one most often sees in photos is wonderful, but when there, the vignettes all around the house and grounds are numerous and consistently thought through.

[@fosbury68]

Many folks say "I wouldn't want to live there". The thing is, it wasn't designed as a primary residence. From day one it was meant to serve as a weekend escape for a couple of means. So it was intended as a highly sophisticated "cabin" on a beautiful setting complete with its own waterfall. On those counts I think the house succeeds spectacularly.

[@stanleyhape8427]

I would totally love to live there.

[@jvs333]

To have been disregarded, sidelined, passed over, and pretty much dismissed... yet at almost 70 he creates this masterpiece. Which ignited his career and reputation. I don’t think any of his other creations matched the genius of this work.

[@barrywainwright3391]

Great documentary but they fail to mention and show the guest house above. I toured this house several years ago and it is truly a gem of a masterpiece designed by an architectural genius.

[@melvindenny8962]

Words do not describe such complete genius. Respect your 'Brother's vision. Time is the voice of truth.

[@Lydia361000]

Thank you for this video. We will be going there, for the first time, in a couple of weeks

[@n.a.mcintosh4697]

picnicked on the slab just below the fall as a kid in the 80's a couple times also taken tours over the decades...this vid takes me back to those days thank you very much!

[@Dawghome]

I had a dream that looks exactly like this house, the dream was wonderful and so powerful it's just stuck in my memory, it was strong.

[@DrMerle-gw4wj]

Masterpiece though it may be, it is reported to have several times required major structural repairs to keep it from acquiring the name "Falling in the water".

[@dunguyenvan7179]

Love to know the house. It's not only a house, it also represents a memory.

[@cherylm9770]

Frank Lloyd Wright was a GENIUS ! I am Stunned everytime I see one of his Phenomenal Creations. Great Man

[@liamgideon5589]

huh so thats what this place is, i remember as a kid my grandad had a picture of this house as his computer background, i always thought it looked so beautiful

[@kdcobra64]

I saw this Masterpiece...from every perspective. Genius... Mr Wright

[@PatrickPierceBateman]

A great house like that and yet nobody lives in it. What a shame.

[@clairelowry9122]

Brilliant genius --- wishing for more. In my city on one of the early main streets, I can see the Wright influence on the homes built around that time.

[@wadeguidry6675]

When taking a tour, don't open the cabinet doors. I did, just to take a look inside one, and security was on me in the blink of an eye.its a beautiful place. I like the cantilevered covering over the walkway.

[@malindaallen718]

Don't touch!

[@lyncressler2608]

I have never heard of this before .. It's beautiful

[@noreenhewson6933]

Total Film Boards of Canada feel. Love it!

[@mylifeinanutshell6931]

This has been on my top 5 favorite houses in my over 40 years of loving houses.

[@iancrossley6637]

118 dislikes: All building code officers.

[@sheilahtipton6729]

You don't count

[@bobaldo2339]

Anyone should have known that a house made out of water would fall!

[@ANunes06]

Facts. I'm always torn with this masterpiece. It's absolutely breathtaking. But it's so incredibly stupid. But it's so breathtaking! But it's clearly going to be a nightmare to maintain! BUT IT IS BREATHTAKING!

[@kinnish5267]

100% pure shit only loved by other modernist architects. Give me a plain cabin by the waterfall

[@fosbury68]

@@kinnish5267 Your assessment of this as "100% pure shit" says much more about you than it does about the beautiful object in question.

[@Zahnclassof95]

I learned at a very early age about Frank Lloyd Wright's . Frank made a few homes here in Wisconsin great story .I enjoy listening to his creative homes.He was ahead of his time.truly history.

[@abshalommil-alsberg1997]

Genius, that's real modern-vintage.

[@bobbys4327]

I am very happy that we had the pleasure of a man with great vision, an architectural genius. Frank Lloyd Wright was one of a kind and his talents and imagination combined with great skill will never be seen again!

[@DaveMorris1969]

thank you for sharing this amazing documentary

[@CoronaHolland]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am deeply touched.

[@domja9389]

Wow, I remember watching this in art class back in 06

[@OmarAbdulMalikDHEdMPASPACPAPro]

Many years ago, I wrote a paper on Frank Lloyd Wright and Falling Waters. To me, it was a BEAUTIFUL combination of living space and nature. If I had a bunch of money, I believe I would have bought it. It's been moved from it's original area. ☹ I greatly appreciate his concept of "organic architecture". What a WONDERFUL documentary! Thanks for sharing this with us!☺🏞🏡👴🏼

[@OmarAbdulMalikDHEdMPASPACPAPro]

@@FarmhouseWF Woah! You're correct! My apologies. Thanks for correcting me. How embarrassing!😳 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJTFYpxmd71nepo

[@eloymontoya9200]

I've only seen a few pictures of this home now I know it's story.

[@lesleymicuda4041]

this house is an absolute gem....it is totally magnificent, utterly unique, graceful, imaginative and food for the soul unlike any other.....I would love to tour it b4 I pass...I cannot even begin to imagine actually living in it!!! you'd be like a kid at the circus!! just thrilled and amazed beyond words! I had the privilege of celebrating Easter at Taliesin West for many years as my grandpa was Mrs. Wright's veterinarian.....my brush with royalty and I was too young to realize it!

[@Zuidio]

Great documentary!

[@somethingbright4268]

So wonderful! I could live happily ever after in this beautiful house.

[@sjanejms9394]

when i grow up i will go there..

[@spuriouseffect]

I was 10 the first time I visited. It was the most magical experience of my life. I keep going back every few years. I still get chills every time I see it.

[@shir-neia2605]

sjane jms do it! You won’t regret it!

[@notavailable.000]

You look nicely grown up to me

[@bethbartlett5692]

Priceless value, both the full subjects and film.

[@janlankhaar2545]

Frank was and still is the best.

[@de4130]

Visiting Falling water is on my bucket list

[@cooldebs30]

Loved it... Will surely visit sometime

[@nhatnam0512]

2023/03/22, I am watching this pleasure video, This house will last forever with time

[@rajsingharora1]

Brilliant Short.

[@michaelashcraft8569]

This is a Shrine to the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright's brilliance in Earth-Tone engineering, and, creative mind..

[@stephaniepersin4145]

Don't forget to visit Kentuck Knob also while in the Fallingwater area. About a 15 minute drive between the properties.

[@lauragwillim1055]

Stephanie Persin what is that?

[@MTMF.london]

@@lauragwillim1055 Another house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

[@eatcommies1375]

Remember going there as a kid, too young to appreciate it, Def. bucket list item….

[@evanmolina5486]

Watched this in my Arch 2401 class at LSU, thanks Professor Sioli!

[@Peter-pv8xx]

I've visited it twice, you can't appreciate it fully until you experience it in person, an absolute masterpiece.

[@Garapetsa]

I visited this house. It's really not that big folks. He designed it for people under 5' 10". The windows are tiny..not much light inside.. I do liked how he incorporate the large Boulder in the living room.. His homes out in Southwest are awesome!

[@GH-oi2jf]

H Pn - It was Mr. Kaufmann’s idea to let the boulder project into the room.

[@shir-neia2605]

H Pn it wasn’t meant to be a palace, but a family home to escape from the city. A vacation house. It wasn’t meant to live all year round. Besides when it became famous Wright built the guest house. And by the way, it was a small family, a couple and a son.

[@Whale_Chum]

That’s common in many FLW designs. His concept of ‘compression and expansion’ are evident in many of the places he built. The windows and angles are also intentional to direct the eyes.

[@GypsyFairy85]

The square footage is slightly over 5,000 square feet. That is larger than your average family home. It wasn't built to be a mega-mansion.

[@sandwich-breath]

This house looks so refreshing! Nice to see something beautiful in this upside down time