Benjamin Adelman house
N 33° 31.340 W 112° 00.995
12S E 405596 N 3709657
First Usonian Automatic designed but not the first constructed, located adjacent to the Arizona Biltmore estate...
Waymark Code: WM1EEP
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 04/20/2007
Views: 348
The Usonian Automatic was conceived as a Do-It-Yourself, simplied textile block housing solution for the post World War II housing boom. Like the California textile block system, Usonian Automatics consisted of a variety of site-molded blocks which were knit together into a grid by the use of rebar that ran down groves in the sides of the blocks. While the surface of the block is much simplified, the construction method turned out to be anything but simple. Given the variety of blocks and the challenges of precision molding a total of only seven Usonian Automatics were ever built.
According to Legler, Wright designed a number of projects for the Adelman family, including a laundry plant, three homes for Benjamin, and two for Albert. Of these only this house and another for Albert in Wisconsin, were actually built.
The original residence was comprised of two wings connected by a covered walkway. The 700 sq ft main house consisted of the living and dining space, workspace, master bedroom, and bath. The 500 sq ft guest house behind the main house contained two bedrooms, two baths and a sitting room with a fireplace. The house was constructed beginning in late 1952 by Charles Mantooth and Arthur Pieper, two former Wright apprentices, who formed Horizon Builders with Wright's encouragement.
Mr. Adelman died in 1959 and the house passed through a series of owners and was subject to a great deal of deterioration. By the 1980s major structural repairs were needed. The good news is that the needed repairs were made and the house was saved. The bad news is that the then owners took many liberties with the original design. The blocks were sprayed with a grayish green stucco. The entrance was moved from the south wall to the east. The walkway between the two wings was enclosed. The red concrete floor was covered with vinyl with grooves simulating the original scouring. Finally, a large master bedroom wing was added with a two car garage. It was also during the 1980s, that according to Storrer, the movable Wright-designed furniture including a chandelier, were sold and removed from the house due to financial difficulties.
We had the fortune of being the high bidder on a silent auction stay at the adjacent Arizona Biltmore Hotel that included a tour and cocktail reception here at the Adelman house with the current owners. They picked us up at the Hotel and drove by the ruins of the Pauson house on the way. We did a walking circuit around the perimeter at dusk, lucked out on a bonus tour of the Boomer house next door with the elderly owner (
visit link) , and a guided interior tour of the Adelman house, with the grand finale appetizers, wine and conversation with the eccentic/eclectic owners. What a blast!!!