U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed John E. and Catherine E. Christian House, Samara, has been designated as a National Historic Landmark (NHL). Fewer than 30 Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the U.S. have achieved NHL status. It is the 40th NHL in the state of Indiana.
Samara was previously named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, at the age of 36, well under the standard requirement that buildings be 50 years old to qualify for listing. Wright designed the Christian house and landscape, as well as the furnishings, lighting, tableware, linens, even the Christian’s stationary.
Wright gave the house its name, Samara, a botanical term which means winged seed, a reference to pine cone seeds found at the site. He created a logo for the property based on the winged seed. Experts regard the site as one of the most fully realized Wright designs in existence. Samara, at 1301 Woodland Avenue in West Lafayette, is open for tours, by appointment only, annually from April to November.
Visits can be scheduled by emailing info@samara-house.com or by calling (765) 409-5522.
