John E. and Catherine E. Christian House (Samara) | |
_Entrance.jpg) | |
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| Location | West Lafayette, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°26′18.8″N86°54′59.6″W / 40.438556°N 86.916556°W /40.438556; -86.916556 |
| Built | 1956 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Woods |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000679[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 1992 |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 2015 |
Samara, also known as theJohn E. Christian House, is a house designed byFrank Lloyd Wright located inWest Lafayette, Indiana. The home is an example of theUsonian homes that Wright designed. Samara was built from 1955 to 1956 and was still occupied by the original owner, John E. Christian, until he died on July 12, 2015.[2][3]
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In 1950 John and Kay Christian decided to build a home nearPurdue University where they both worked, John as a pharmaceutical chemistry professor and Kay as the social director for the university. After much discussion, they decided that Wright was the architect who suited the ideals for their home. Not knowing how to proceed, John phoned Wright directly at his office and was surprisingly able to speak directly to the famed architect. Over the next six years they worked together both with meetings in West Lafayette, Indiana and atTaliesin, Wright's summer home inSpring Green, Wisconsin. The home was named after thesamara. A stylized design of chevron-shaped leaves permeates throughout the design of the home including theclerestory windows, dining chairs and the living room rug.[3] These designs, nicknamed The Winged Seed, are located on the perforated upper windows and were also used on theBachman-Wilson Usonian home. The house was built for entertaining, especially college students; the living room was designed for 50 people. It featured a long built-in banquette and room for sitting on the stairs.[4]
The Christian family maintained the home according to the exacting specifications of its architect. As in many of the homes he designed, Wright specified or designed the entire environment, including the furniture, linens and landscaping. The Christians were not initially able to purchase all of the specified custom details; however, they made an agreement with Wright to continue adding to the home as their budget allowed.[3]
The color palette of furniture and design details is brighter and more saturated than other examples of Wright's architecture. This was prompted by Kay Christian who requested brighter colors against Wright's wishes. Wright was finally convinced by his wife,Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, who insisted that she would help the Christians with the color design.[5] The result was a palette of vibrant lime green, magenta, and purple combined with more subdued shades of orange, yellow, and beige (see image at left). The home was designated as aNational Historic Landmark in 2015.[6] The nomination form[7] for the home provides a very detailed overview of the home with pictures and floor plans.[8] It was featured in a mid-2015 exhibit at the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center.[4]
In 2020 $1 million in grants was acquired to make repairs.[9]
Mrs. Christian insisted on having brighter colors in the house that Wright originally proposed. Olgivanna Wright finally convinced Wright to adjust the color palette by offering her assistance to Mrs. Christian with hue.
