Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kalil House Enters the Historic Register
The second of Frank Lloyd Wright’s NH homes was just added to the National Register of Historic Places. Here’s what you need to know.
Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed seven iconic “Usonian Automatic” homes throughout his career, one of which can be found in Manchester. The Kalil House was designed in 1955 and constructed in 1957. And, as of this month, it has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The United States Secretary of the Interior made the official listing, according to an announcement made by the N.H. Division of Historical Resources. The Kalil House joins another New Hampshire home designed by Wright, the Zimmerman House, which is located about three doors down.
In fact, Mildred and Toufic Kalil were originally inspired to commission Wright to design their new home after their neighbors, Lucille and Isadore Zimmerman, had previously worked with the architect in 1951. The Zimmerman House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1979.
The Kalil House is lauded for its longevity
The original idea behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Usonian Automatic” style was to provide middle-class families with high-quality, affordable homes with a distinctive design. The Kalil House, which was largely constructed from poured concrete slabs, features an L-shaped, single-story floor plan defined by designated areas, including the bedrooms and gallery, kitchen and utility, and dining and living spaces.
It’s particularly well-regarded as the original integrity of the home has been meticulously maintained since it was constructed. The press release issued by the New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources noted that no major restorations or alterations have ever been made on the property. Perhaps most remarkably, many of the interior rooms contain all of their original furnishings—designed by Wright, of course. Rugs, furniture, fixtures, lamps, fabrics, and almost all of the kitchen appliances are original. One stainless steel appliance was replaced at an unspecified time.
Before being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Kalil House was purchased by the Currier Museum of Art in 2019. The museum owns the Zimmerman House as well, and tours of both of Wright’s historic properties can be arranged through Currier. You can view photos of the Kalil House here.
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