Boomer House
N 33° 31.367 W 112° 01.016
12S E 405564 N 3709708
Quick Description: A beach bungalow in the desert, originally part of the Biltmore Estate and next door neighbor to the Adelman House.
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 11/3/2007 6:08:19 AM
Waymark Code: WM2H28
Views: 251
Long Description:The house was commissioned by Norwegian-born Jorgine Boomer, widow
of Lucius Boomer, who developed/owned/managed the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel in New York City
("http://www.hotelinteractive.com/index.asp?page_id=5000&article_id=7644"
target="_blank">visit link) . The Boomers had originally
contacted Wright in 1945 about re-building the burned out
rubblestone remains of the nearby Pauson House, but Jorgine scaled
back the project following the untimely death of her husband in a
plane crash. The Boomer House is actually the recycled design for a
California-beach view bungalow converted to an desert cottage.
Wright accomplished this by orienting the house away from the
western sun and toward the northeastern views of the desert
landscape.
The two-story house is laid out on a diamond grid with few right
angles. The lower level consists of a compact sitting room,
kitchen, bath and servant's room. A narrow winding staircase leads
to the second floor which consists of two bedrooms, the master
suite and the other for a maid.
Jorgine lived in the house for only a few years before she
donated it to the Phoenix Art Museum. Unable to maintain it or use
it for museum functions, partly because of zoning restrictions and
partly because it was in the middle of nowhere (at the time), the
museum sold it to the current owner in 1963.
