Unusual Frank Lloyd Wright Design in Sleepy New York Hamlet on Market for $1.52M

Unusual Frank Lloyd Wright Design in Sleepy New York Hamlet on Market for $1.52M

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Looking to move to a New York City suburb and be surrounded by green space? We’ve got a Frank Lloyd Wright gem within a park.

The rarely available architectural standout has come on the market for $1,525,000. It’s named the Socrates Zaferiou House, for its original owner.

And how the legendary architect came to design a home in the humble hamlet of Blauvelt is quite a tale.

He persisted

Enamored with Wright’s designs, Zaferiou—a waiter at the Plaza Hotel in New York City—approached the architect with his desire for a Usonian-style home in the small town just a half-hour from Manhattan.

But there was a catch: Zaferiou wanted four bedrooms instead of the three Wright usually incorporated into his designs. He also requested a basement, which Wright notoriously dismissed as an area to collect clutter.

It took Zaferiou two years to persuade Wright to design the 2,619-square-foot home with four bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The walk-out basement with a tall ceiling is a striking design, representing the men’s compromise.

“Socrates was persistent,” says Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty, who is co-listing the home with Brandon Wagner. “Wright came out to the site and eventually approved a fourth bedroom and a basement.”

The home was eventually built in the early 1960s—after Wright’s death in 1959. An architect who had worked with Wright completed the house based on Wright’s concept.

The homeowners, who lived there until they were in their late 80s, “wanted the house to be sold to someone who would not make any changes,” says Ellis.

The second owner—now the seller—made only minor updates after buying the modified Usonian in 2014 for $730,000.

“She is an architect and designer. She’s not made any changes except for the appliances in the kitchen,” says Ellis. She also repainted the exterior a yellow-tinged beige, as Wright had intended.

Serene setting

That it’s set on 2.5 acres within the 532-acre Clausland Mountain Park means wooded views from many spots in the home. Like Wright’s other Usonians, there are long sightlines from the exterior, a flat roof, asymmetrical layouts, wood paneling, Cherokee red countertops, and banks of clerestory windows.

In lieu of a garage, there’s a carport, a design amenity Wright loved. A wall of French doors in the living room leads to a deck. There’s also a fireplace and numerous built-ins and shelving, all signature Wright features.

Will another Wright fan buy this beauty? There may also be locals who appreciate the architecture.

The proximity to Manhattan is ideal for those who appreciate the architecture and want to be close to the cultural attractions of the city, Ellis notes.

She has also noticed potential buyers from the West Coast.

“We’ve seen a lot of Californians coming East,” Ellis says.

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