Frank Lloyd Wright coined the term Usonian in the 1930s to describe affordable yet elegant homes for America’s middle class. Each Usonian house had distinctive features, including an L-shaped design with private and public wings, a concrete slab foundation, and steam heating. The Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama, is a famous example.
Famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright first coined the term Usonian in the 1930s. Wright invented the term to describe his view of the look and feel of cities and buildings in the United States, hence the “US” prefix. Wright envisioned these homes would be an affordable yet elegant option for America’s middle class.
At its lowest in 1940, the price of a Usonian home must have been, according to Wright, only $5,000 US dollars (USD). Compared to the $7500 USD average home cost at the time, Wright’s Usonian home was a steal. Motivated by the philosophy that these pleasant mansions would create a happy and fulfilled society, Wright designed about fifty of these Usonian houses in 1936. The first to be built was the Jacobs House, in the mid-1930s. Wright believed that these homes, coupled with widespread automobile ownership, would lead to an end to urban life.
Each Usonian house had several distinctive design features, designed by Wright so that a Usonian house could be built in many different types of environments. Each had a concrete slab foundation and was attached to a carport instead of a garage. The Usonian houses were one story high. Steam heating was another innovation Wright included in every Usonian home. Steam heating replaced more expensive radiators.
Building the exteriors of the houses of glass and waxed brick and wood was another way to keep the cost of the Usonian house down, because painting was unnecessary. A fireplace was the centerpiece of any home, intended as a symbol of the heart of the family that lived there. A Usonian house had open interiors divided into two wings. Each wing had a distinct use. The first wing contained the private bedrooms and the second contained the public living areas. These two wings were arranged in an L shape, with a practical kitchen and bathroom being the center of the house. The L design has left an open garden space.
Perhaps the most famous example of a Usonian house is the Rosenbaum House, built in 1939 and located in Florence, Alabama. Although the Rosenbaums have lived in the house all their lives, the Rosenbaum house is now owned by the City of Florence and is open to the public. The house was designed in the traditional Usonian layout, but the growing Rosenbaum clan necessitated an addition in 1948. A guest bedroom and dormitory to accommodate the family’s four children were designed by Wright and added at home.
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