Martin House Gardener's Cottage
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 56.190 W 078° 50.946
17T E 675500 N 4756008
Part of the Martin House Complex, this house was used solely by the gardener for Darwin Martin.
Waymark Code: WMJN8
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 07/29/2006
Views: 99
The Gardener's Cottage was an integral part of the Darwin D. Martin estate complex. The gardener of this wood and stucco cottage was Reuben Polder, who had to provide fresh flowers daily for every room in the main house, a task which he assiduously accomplished until his employer died in 1935.
Frank Lloyd Wright strove to open up the confining "box" of traditional American houses in his prairie house designs, but the gardener's cottage was so modest in size that a boxy configuration appears to have been inevitable. Nevertheless, Wright managed to create an illusion of the pier and cantilever principle that characterized the Martin house by placing tall rectangular panels (or pseudo-piers) at each corner of the building. Illusion operates inside the cottage as well. The living room extends across the entire front of the house, gathering light and a sense of spaciousness from a sequence of windows on three sides. A fireplace suggests a fourth wall but allows space to extend deeper into the house on either side.
Year Completed: 1905
Commissioned By: Darwin D. Martin
Nearest City or Town: Buffalo, NY
Public/Private: Private
Tours Available?: no
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the building or house to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.