(c) Mark Hertzberg 2016
It is time to revisit Penwern, the magnificent estate Frank Lloyd Wright designed for Chicago “capitalist” Fred B. Jones on Delavan Lake, Wisconsin in 1900 – 1903. Penwern was Jones’ country home, a place to entertain his many friends from Chicago. It is no less a magnificent home to welcome friends today than it was during the myriad of summer parties mentioned in contemporary newspaper social notes.
The entry is one of my favorite parts of the house. Visitors enter the house under a low ceiling (the balcony or passageway from the stairs to the bedrooms is above this entry ceiling). Instead of being confronted by walls and doors, they can immediately look into the billiard and dining rooms (left) and living room (right).
We see friends of Sue and John Major, stewards of Penwern since 1994,at the Majors’ annual party celebrating the 4th of July. While Wright specified that the front porch (facing north and the lake) and the two side porches should have curved walls, the walls were either built straight or modified by Jones. John O’Shea, steward of Penwern from 1989 – 1994, rebuilt the front porch to Wright’s design. The Majors did the same with the side porches last year. The curved walls echo both the arched porte-cochere and the 28′ foot long arch over the front porch.
The Majors also removed the wall separating the front porch from the east side porch:
Early photos of Penwern show a cairn near the gate lodge. The Majors recreated it this year:
They also uncovered a cistern at the gate lodge:
There are often different views of the lake through the boathouse windows and through the arched porte-cochere:
Fall is spectacular in Wisconsin. This past weekend begged a visit to Penwern, cameras in hand:
The stable and the house:
The gate lodge:
We end our visit with a photo of Jones’ monogrammed wind vane which was once atop the stable. It is now in the living room:
Visit www.penwern.com to see many more photos of the house, both historic and contemporary, as well as copies of Wright’s surviving drawings.
Wright in Racine 
Mark, thank you for the wonderful candy you gave me on Halloween. Penwern’s delicious.
Nancy s
Best of all, you don’t have to worry about what the dentist will say about this “candy!” Your note made me smile.
Is a book still in the offing? And perhaps an updated version of the Hardy book with restoration info and photos?
The book is still in the offing. The tentative publication date is September, 2018. That give me more needed time to pursue some leads on the history of the house. Updated Hardy? Thanks for rooting for me, but I have my hands full with the Penwern book! Pomegranate is no longer publishing Wright books, so this would have to be reconfigured likely in private publication…a big task.