This impeccably preserved Frank Lloyd Wright house feels like you've just stepped inside a midcentury time capsule. It's easy to imagine a 1950s nuclear family reading in the glow of the open hearth marble fireplace.
Henry Neils, retired president of the Flour City Ornamental Ironworks, was able to persuade the busy master architect to design a "one-story modern functional house" after sending Wright photos of his fabulous wooded property on Cedar Lake.
Today the 2,511 square-foot midcentury modern masterpiece in Minneapolis is on the market for $3.4 million.
The honey-hued wood paneled interiors, smart space-saving built-ins and expanses of glass are all signature Wright.
But it was the atypical materials used by Wright, requested by Neils, that helped land the home on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The architect's unique Usonian design is composed of marble block walls, Western larch paneling and aluminum window frames in place of wood.
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One of the home's Wrightian "wow" features is its asymmetrical roof line with a gable dramatically projecting out like the prow of a ship.
Inside, the L-shaped floor plan's classic "Cherokee Red" concrete floor spans the living-active wing and private-quiet sleeping wing. The vaulted living room boasts a wall of glass facing Cedar Lake and views of the nearly half-acre property.
Wright was the master at creating outdoor connections and added sliding doors that open to a huge triangular patio. Instead of a garage, a mod stone carport has spots for three cars.
The retro beauty even got a big spread in a 1955 issue of House Beautiful magazine.
The home's second owners, who bought the 1951 house in 2007 for $2.4 million, have replaced electrical and mechanical systems and completed some bathroom updates.
All the original pieces — along with letters between Frieda and Henry Neils and Wright — have been preserved, cataloged and in storage, said listing agent, Julie Regan of Lakes Sotheby's. "They will pass on a true piece of history to the next homeowner," she added.
Another Frank Lloyd Wright 1960 time capsule, the Paul Olfelt House in St. Louis Park, recently sold for $1.2 million.
Other features:
• Three bedrooms and three bathrooms within 2,511 square feet.
• Wright designed built-in furniture includes tables, desks, beds and banquettes.
• Bookcases run the full-length of the entry "gallery."
• Two bedrooms have ladders leading up to a connected loft for a fun kid hangout.
• Innovative mechanical systems and radiant floor heating.
• The private abode on Burnham Blvd. is 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
Julie Regan of Lakes Sotheby's, 952-230-3159, has the listing.
