Buffalo

The second most famous of Wright’s six homes in the Buffalo area, Graycliff sits above Lake Erie and was the summer home of Buffalo resident Darwin D. Martin. Built in 1927 as Martin’s gift to his wife Isabelle, the two-story, 6,500-square-foot house sits on 8 acres of land and perches atop a 70-foot cliff. The home showcases Wright’s signature artistic design and is an excellent example of his take on an organic architectural approach that attempts to bring the natural world indoors. Graycliff’s design allows light to flood through long glass windows, cantilevered balconies aid the circulation of fresh air and details and finishes echo the natural forms outdoors. Additionally, it illustrates Wright’s development as an architect and the transition from his earlier Prairie Style homes to later concrete designs like Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. The basic one-hour tour is fascinating, but the architect-guided intensive four-hour tour will appeal to hardcore Wright buffs.