Stone Walls and Walking Sticks

Fallingwater is literally a house of this land: its masonry walls first saw daylight as rough stones cut from the earth. Pottsville sandstone lay within easy reach at a small quarry on Kaufmann's property. As Earl Friend, longtime WPC employee (now retired) recalls, “All that dirt was taken off by hand. They had to dig it, clear it and dump the gob piles over. The layers of stone started with thin layers on top, and the further down, the thicker they got. There were maybe two or three layers of stone suitable for the house.”

The ready availability of stone in this area gave rise to a distinctive local style of stonework. Many local stonemasons have connections to Fallingwater, whether they learned the craft on the crew, or through family who worked here. One of those stonemasons is Manuel Burnsworth, who has built a beautiful stone wall as part of our “A Fallingwater Homecoming” exhibit, on display until July 18. Manuel's father, Clyde Burnsworth, helped build the main house.

Today's photo depicts stone walls rising at Fallingwater's guest house in 1939, courtesy of Eugene Work, Mill Run.

E-mail Today's WPC Daily to a Friend!

Sign Up for WPC Daily