Usonia () is a term that was used by the American architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

to refer to the United States in general (in preference over ''

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

''), and more specifically to his vision for the landscape of the country, including the planning of cities and the architecture of buildings. Wright proposed the use of the adjective ''Usonian'' to describe the particular

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

character of the American landscape as distinct and free of previous architectural conventions.

Usonian houses

"Usonian" usually refers to a group of approximately 60 middle-income family homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright beginning in 1934 with the Willey House, with most considering the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, 1937, to be the first true "Usonian". The "Usonian Homes" are typically small, single-story dwellings without a garage or much storage. They are often L-shaped to fit around a garden terrace on unusual and inexpensive sites. They are characterized by native materials; flat roofs and large

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...

ed overhangs for passive

solar heating A solar thermal collector collects heat by Absorption (optics), absorbing sunlight. The term "solar collector" commonly refers to a device for solar hot water panel, solar hot water heating, but may refer to large power generating installations ...

and natural cooling; natural lighting with

clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...

windows; and radiant-floor heating. Another distinctive feature is that they typically have little exposure to the front/'public' side, while the rear/'private' sides are completely open to the outside. A strong visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces is an important characteristic of all Usonian homes. The word carport was coined by Wright to describe an overhang for sheltering a parked vehicle. The Usonia Historic District is a planned community in

Pleasantville, New York Pleasantville is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located 30 miles north of Manhattan. The village population was 7,513 at the 2020 census. Pleasantville is home to the secondary c ...

built in the 1950s following this concept. Wright designed three of the 47 homes himself. Variants of the Jacobs House design are still in existence today. The Usonian design is considered among the aesthetic origins of the

ranch-style house Ranch (also known as American ranch, California ranch, rambler, or rancher) is a domestic architectural style that originated in the United States. The ranch-style house is noted for its long, close-to-the-ground profile, and wide open layout. ...

popular in the American west of the 1950s.

The FSC Usonian House

In 2013,

Florida Southern College Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. It offers undergraduate, gradua ...

constructed a building it has named the "Usonian House", according to plans that Wright created in 1939 in an original design for one of twenty faculty housing units. The campus features a collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, the 2013 construction being the thirteenth of Wright's design, a collection known as Child of the Sun. This additional building includes textile-block construction and colored glass in perforated concrete blocks, and features furniture designed by Wright. It is home to the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, a visitor center for guests visiting campus to see the Wright buildings, and includes Wright photographs and a documentary film about the architect's work at the school.

Origin of the word

The word ''Usonian'' appears to have been coined by James Duff Law, a Scottish writer born in 1865. In a miscellaneous collection, ''Here and There in Two Hemispheres'' (1903), Law quoted a letter of his own (dated June 18, 1903) that begins "We of the United States, in justice to Canadians and Mexicans, have no right to use the title 'Americans' when referring to matters pertaining exclusively to ourselves." He went on to acknowledge that some author had proposed "Usona" (United States of North America), but that he preferred the form "Usonia" (United States of North Independent America). Perhaps the earliest published use by Wright was in 1927: However, this may be a misattribution, as there is as yet no other published evidence that Butler ever used the word. José F. Buscaglia reclaims the term ''Usonian'' to refer to the peoples, national ideology and neo-imperial tradition of the United States of America. Miguel Torres-Castro uses the term ''Usonian'' to refer to the origin of the

Atlantic puffin The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family (biology), family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin being found ...

used in the children's book ''Jupu the Puffin: A Usonian Story''. The bird is a puffin from

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, US.

Noted Usonian houses

Precursor to Usonians

* Malcolm Willey House 1934,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

*Peters-Margedant House* 1934,

University of Evansville The University of Evansville (UE) is a private university in Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1854 as Carnegie Hall of Moores Hill College, Moores Hill College. The university operates a satellite center, Harlaxton Manor, Harlaxton College ...

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

View of window wall looking into house - day

Usonian Houses

* Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, "Jacobs I", 1937,

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

* Paul and Jean Hanna House, "Honeycomb House", 1937,

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

* Benjamin Rebhuhn House 1937, Great Neck Estates, New York * Andrew F.H. Armstrong House 1939, Ogden Dunes, Indiana * Joseph Euchtman House 1939,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

* Bernard Schwartz House 1939,

Two Rivers, Wisconsin Two Rivers is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,271 at the 2020 census. It claims to be the birthplace of the ice cream sundae (though other cities, such as Ithaca, New York, make the same claim). The c ...

* George Sturges House 1939,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

* John and Ruth Pew House 1939, Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin * Hause House 1939,

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...

* Sidney Bazett House (also known as the Bazett-Frank House) 1940

Hillsborough, California Hillsborough is an List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located south of San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula, bordered by Burlinga ...

* Goetsch–Winckler House 1940, Okemos, Michigan * Gregor S. and Elizabeth B. Affleck House 1940

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit on the Woodward Corridor, Bloomfield Hills is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, and is ...

* Rosenbaum House 1940,

Florence, Alabama Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner, and had a population of 40,184 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Florence is l ...

* Theodore Baird Residence 1940,

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...

* Clarence Sondern House 1940,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

* Pope–Leighey House 1941,

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

* Stuart Richardson House 1941 (built 1951)

Glen Ridge, New Jersey Glen Ridge is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,802, an increase of 275 (+3.7%) from the 2010 United St ...

* Alvin Miller House (also known as the Alvin and Inez Miller residence) 1946,

Charles City, Iowa Charles City is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Iowa, United States. Charles City is a significant commercial and transportation center for the area. U.S. Route 18 in Iowa, U.S. Routes 18 and U.S. Route 218, 218, Iowa Highway 14, ...

* Erling P. Brauner House 1948, Okemos, Michigan * The Acres, Galesburg, Michigan ::* Samuel & Dorothy Eppstein House 1949 ::* Eric & Pat Pratt House 1949 ::* Curtis & Lillian Meyer House 1949 ::* David & Christine Weisblat House 1949 * Parkwyn Village,

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

::* Ward McCartney House 1949 ::* Robert & Rae Levin House 1948 ::* Robert D Winn House 1949 ::* Eric V. Brown House 1949 * Usonia Homes,

::* Sol Friedman House 1949 ::* Edward Serlin House 1951 ::* Roland Reisley House 1951 * Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House 1949,

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...

* Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Stein Smith House 1949, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan * Weltzheimer/Johnson House 1949,

Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 8,555 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin ...

* Donald Schaberg House 1950, Okemos, Michigan * Karl A. Staley House 1950, North Madison, Ohio * J.A. Sweeton Residence 1950,

Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a Township (New Jersey), township within Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As a suburb of Philadelphia, the township is part of the South Jersey and Delaware Valley regions. Cherry Hill ...

* Seamour and Gerte Shavin House 1950,

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

* Lowell and Agnes Walter House 1950,

Quasqueton, Iowa Quasqueton is a city in Buchanan County, Iowa, Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 570 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Just northwest of the town is Cedar Rock State Park, Cedar Rock, a home designe ...

* Kraus House 1950,

Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis located in western St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 29,461. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, chief engineer of the Pacific Railr ...

* Nathan Rubin House 1951,

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...

* Muirhead Farmhouse 1951, Hampshire, Illinois * Zimmerman House 1951,

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...

* John D. Haynes House 1952,

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

* Frank S. Sander House 1952,

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...

* R. W. Lindholm Residence, "Mäntylä", 1952, Donegal, Pennsylvania (dismantled and relocated from its original location in Cloquet, Minnesota) * Kentuck Knob 1953,

Stewart Township, Pennsylvania Stewart Township is a township (Pennsylvania), township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Greater Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 623 at the 2020 census. Stonerville and Kaufmann are ...

* John and Syd Dobkins House 1953, Canton, Ohio * Bachman–Wilson House 1954, Millstone, New Jersey * Ellis Feiman House 1954, Canton, Ohio * John E. Christian House "

Samara Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev (1935–1991), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast in Russia. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with a population of over 1.14 ...

" 1954,

West Lafayette, Indiana West Lafayette ( ) is a city in Wabash and Tippecanoe Townships, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, approximately northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash ...

* J. Willis Hughes house "Fountainhead", 1954,

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

* William L. Thaxton Jr. House 1955,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

* Louis Penfield House 1955,

Willoughby Hills, Ohio Willoughby Hills is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along the Chagrin River. The population was 10,019 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Cleveland, it is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Geography According to the United S ...

* Cedric G. and Patricia Neils Boulter House 1956,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

* Dudley Spencer House 1956,

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

* Donald C. Duncan House 1957, Donegal, Pennsylvania (dismantled and relocated from its original location in

Lisle, Illinois Lisle ( ) is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,390 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the population was recorded to be 23,270. It is a south-western suburb of Chicago in the Illinois ...

) * Evelyn and Conrad Gordon House 1957,

Wilsonville, Oregon Wilsonville is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, Clackamas and Washington County, Oregon, Washington counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded with the name Boones Landing for the Boones Ferry that crossed the Willamette River, the communit ...

(later moved to

Silverton, Oregon Silverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The city is situated along the 45th parallel north, 45th parallel about northeast of Salem, Oregon, Salem, in the eastern margins of the broad alluvial plain of the Willamette Valley. ...

) * Lovness House and Cottage 1957,

Stillwater, Minnesota Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), S ...

* Robert H. Sunday House 1957,

Marshalltown, Iowa Marshalltown is a city in Marshall County, Iowa, and is the county seat of the county. With a population of 27,591 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the 16th largest city in the state. Marshalltown is home to the Iowa Vetera ...

* John Gillin Residence 1958,

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas * Paul J. and Ida Trier House 1958,

Johnston, Iowa Johnston is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,064 in the 2020 census, a large increase from the 8,649 population in 2000. It is part of the Des Moines– West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Johns ...

Usonian Automatic Houses

The Usonian Automatic houses were made with concrete blocks. An attempt on the part of Wright to further lower the cost of housing, the clients could actually be involved in the creation of the blocks and thus the construction of the building (such as in the Tracy House). * Benjamin Adelman Residence 1951,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

* Arthur Pieper Residence 1952,

Paradise Valley, Arizona Paradise Valley is a desert and mountain town in Arizona east of state capital Phoenix. The town is known for its golf courses, spectacular mountain views, numerous upscale resorts and restaurants, natural beauty with desert landscaping and gor ...

* Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House 1954, Amberley Village,

Hamilton County, Ohio Hamilton County is located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 830,639, making it the List of counties in Ohio, third-most populous county in Ohio. The coun ...

* Toufic H. Kalil House 1955,

* Theodore A. Pappas House 1955,

Town and Country, Missouri Town and Country is a city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States with a population of 11,640 as of the 2020 census. Town and Country has the highest median household income ($134,387 in 2009) of any city in Missouri with a population ...

* Tracy House 1956, Normandy Park, Washington * Dorothy H. Turkel House 1956,

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

File:View_of_the_'Grand_Room'_in_the_Tonkens_House..jpg, View of the Great Room in the Tonkens House File:Dorothy_Turkel_house.jpg, Exterior of the Dorothy H. Turkel House

Usonian houses

The FSC Usonian House

Origin of the word

Noted Usonian houses

Precursor to Usonians

Usonian Houses

Usonian Automatic Houses

See also

Notes

References

External links