Frank Lloyd Wright - Wynant House Ruins - Gary, Indiana

[awsomemommy71]

An old child hood friend used to live there when I was a child....wow....love this channel!

[TheAmericanMosaic]

Don't feel too bad about it. I'm no FLW expert, but he pretty much intended for his houses to crumble into nature in about 100 years or so. And as wonderful as they look, owners have complained about design flaws since the day they were built.

However, urban decay in cities like Gary and Detroit is another story altogether. I for one love the idea of bulldozing the derelict areas to make way for grassland.

[cztardust]

Just to set the record straight, there are a few private organizations that are trying really hard to help Gary and its residents such as Adonia Community Services.

ACS is currently working on at least one historic church downtown to bring it to a level where it can be used then eventually restored.

Bravo to organizations such as theirs despite the given situation.

[cztardust]

SAD, SAD, SAD. FLW's works are national treasures and Gary, Indiana has been blessed to have so many incredible historical buildings. Living in the area my entire life, I have to agree with spayne201...

The state should have taken control of Gary a long time ago.

[mickiwms]

@athompson7: back in the day, there were no "wrong" neighborhoods in Gary. It was a very beautiful chocolate city. this is heartbreaking.

[trenton9]

WE HAVE A FRANK LLOYD RIGHT HOUSE?!!!

[athompson7]

Probably in the wrong neighborhood. In Gary.

[kerrictl]

Thank you for documenting this important structure which is now lost completely. The remnants of the burned structure are now gone. The building now survives only on your You Tube submission. We owe you a debt of gratitude for taking the photos and posting them.

[ProfTotoro]

This was being restored and then burned in a fire. I took a picture of it just months before the fire. Just do a search for 600 Filmore Street Gary, IN (can't post the link for some reason) and you can see the photos. It was on its way to being repaired then someone burned it down. That whole street had wonderful homes - and two FLW homes within walking distance.

[LarryCebula]

Why is this in black and white?

[SoINeedAName48]

How heart-breaking to lose a national treasure like this.

To be sure republicans can defend it w/ "Let the markets speak."

May be I'm wrong, but all I hear is "FUCK YOU, YOU CORPORATE WHORES!"

[akash8m]

Who knows what is the real story behind this, maybe they couldn't afford to maintain it. What is the name of the music in the background is very fitting to the story.

[KuyaBillRomjue]

Heartbreaking video...

[badgerbuddy]

how the hell did a frank lloyd wright house end up like that.... usually those things cost a fortune, and are in perfect condition

[frazie46]

That music is killing me, arrrggghhhh

[fractaljack]

A knife in the heart at 1:38 seeing the fireplace hearth open and exposed to the elements - especially knowing how in Wright's design, the hearth was the heart of the home...

[nextren]

Not a single intelligent person in Gary, Indiana. Is it even part of the civilized world any longer? That said, this was a cheapo DIY home that was not built to last.

[beck769]

and the order would be shipped out to site, were a aproved contracter would build the house!

[beck769]

The American System-Built Houses, were only designed by FLW, not built by, becuase these house were designed for the average person looing to have a beautiful,yet affordable home, and if FLW was invold in the building of this house, it would have gone well over budgit, as is very typical of FLW! The American System houses were sort of the Sears house of that day, but came in much fewer choices,I think there were 6-9 different styles of homes to choose from.The owner would choose what he wanted..

[kaos0077]

Looks like Frank Lloyd Wrong, to me. There were a lot of students of the FLW style that built lots of things across the country like this. I know of an old train depot that was built in Central PA by FLW and a fellow architect when FLW was in school. Of course they tore it down long ago.

[TheRecordplayers]

Not one of FLW's masterpieces and the next house is less than 10' away. If we can let Gary Indiana go, then I could let this house go with it. You look at ruins, I see opportunities.

[EERNOZTHROAT]

Actually, for Gary, that's a well-kept property.

[Hammad2488]

someone got a pretty penny out this

being a frank Lloyd wright home

but it is in the hood, so did the insurance company

big or lil, or did the owners who must have did it

go to jail for burning this historical building,

[Hammad2488]

someone got a pretty penny out this

being a frank Lloyd wright home

but it is in the hood, so did the insurance company

big or lil, or did the owners who must have did it

go to jail for burning this historical building,

[dahmeredsback]

everything is going to shit... and nobody cares....

[numnumm]

The house has been torn down.

[cinerama62]

A reflection of the city ,sad.

[lxypnlil]

I truly appreciate you putting this video together, the music matches the what the house should of become once again. It made me cried. I could see in my mind, my grandfather, Wilbur Wynant and his first wife sitting in front of the fireplace. He died when my dad was in his teens. His second wife, Mary Ellen Kennedy was my dad's mother. Unfornatuely we never heard any stories or saw pictures.

[Voltor07]

As a huge fan of FLW, I hate to say the obvious, but this house is beyond repair. It has caught fire at least once and would not be able to be restored as the structural integrity is no longer able to support the original design. If it were me, I would tear it down and have it rebuilt to the original specs.

[TeePurp]

Even beeing a Lloyd piece of Design has not saved this place. Decay forces are of the strongest kind.

[fastfoodclowns]

I wonder how many houses FLW constructed in Gary, Indiana??? FLW's secret to his art is that he incorporated Sacred Geometry (that one sees in nature) into his designs . . .

[fastfoodclowns]

The signature red tile walk @ 1:22 --->Still looks GREAT!!!!

[fastfoodclowns]

What is a *System Built* house? never heard that term before, but not a FLW expert...

[charlestonchewy]

@fastfoodclowns They were houses built by FLW sometime between 1912-1916. The houses were supposed to be affordable. He stopped the project because of WWI.

[fastfoodclowns]

@charlestonchewy *Thanks for the information and reply! Wright was certainly far ahead of his times!

[danvillegirl1968]

sad to lose his gems to this kind of decay

[mark12312056]

great lines just the simple needs iam looking for thanks .I have a shell in vancouver with way to much square.

[johntdotson]

This was my street in Gary,In . I loved this house . Frank L Wright was Designer of Life.... JOHN T DOTSON 626 FILLMORE ST ARCHITECTURE TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY TUSKEGEE AL.

[Lisanab]

that is really heartbreaking

[fastfoodclowns]

@Lisanab >I agree with you that it is heart wrenching to see FLW's genius slowly rotting away; but take a look at Gary, itself, that will make you feel even worse!

[oneoriginalthought]

tragic

[MrSueVeneer]

The blue tarp not too effective. Tragedy to see any Wright building die, but that whole town is like that.

[bbbbmer]

a tragedy

[1967mustanggta]

I knew a lady who lived there for it's hey day. She moved there in before 1920 and moved back to her small Indiana home town in the 1970's. She said it was the most beautiful and wonderful place to live and raise a family. She was over 100 years old when she died a few years back. American history is drama.

[lxypnlil]

@1967mustanggta

Do you know if she was related to the Wilbur Wynant? He is my grandfather, my father is his son, from his second marriage to Mary Ellen Kennedy. He was married the first time, I think, when he either lived there or was involved in the building. My grandmother died about 1985 at the age of 93 and had a step daughter that was I think I remember from the stories was a year older. This might have been her.

[1967mustanggta]

@lxypnlil No I don't think so. I have to assume she did not live in the house referred to - I was commenting on Gary in general and it was interesting to here her speak of this town in a long ago distant time.

[mshockey73]

Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings are amazing. This is so sad. It's just too bad it couldn't be saved.

[fkhill]

What a shame. Funny how abandoned houses like that always seem to "catch fire" mysteriously. I guess from squatters or a greedy owner looking to cash in on insurance or lower their tax bill. Such a waste.

[spayne201]

My parents grew up in Gary, I live about 20 mins from there and took some of my college courses at IU's chapter there. It's so sad to see how run down and devistated that area. Indiana needs to move in and seize control of that area. The Gary goverment has proven themselves corrupt again and again, I don't understand how this has been allowed to happen. If you ever see photos from about 30-40 years ago Gary was one of the most BEAUTIFUL cities ever, truly fit to be Chicagos neighbor.

[k3llyann3tt3]

this video is very sad. if youve ever designed something you never want to be alive when it goes to waste so in that respect I suspect he was saved from such grief.

[danvillegirl1968]

so sad

[riotgearhead]

at :34 the house looks like its crying.

[Lisanab]

@riotgearhead yes, the house crying ,, then bleeding when you see the classic FLW red tiles in snow

[fastfoodclowns]

@riotgearhead >there was a house that FLW built in what is now a Forest Preserve in Illinois, and it was in pretty bad shape (not as bad as this poor house), but it has been totally rehabilitated and looks how FLW originally designed and built it. Wish something could be done for this house in Gary.

[neosfire]

this is sicking i feel so bad y would they do this to flw house y

[sdjnwhy]

God!How can the heritage be treated like that??!I think even God would feel sad about that!!

[AthensAnna]

I look at these haunting photos of great buildings, and a once-great city and when I see the disrespect that the people showed these buildings (and the whole culture that they represented), I think of the phrase, "Pearls to swine." Sad, that human beings could toss aside so much beauty and enlightenment.

[threestarpr]

I wrote a letter to Obama ( you know the website where you can give your view of what America should do about economy) so I told them to make Gary a youth corp for farming town. Teach farming and seasonally young people can go to earn money on organic farms like Kabutz in Israel. Im sure Gary, Indiana was a beautiful place at one point. Those buildings were classic American. Imagine the town revitalized with youth and farming, music venues, restaurants serving fresh foods, hemp products etc...

[AthensAnna]

That's a great idea! So many young people in Gary need so much to learn respect for the land, for life, for other people, and for themselves! I think I may write a letter to Obama, too!

[threestarpr]

You know.... Also repeat the goal to others in conversation...spread the word... the US needs their youth to look at farming in a better light.. It's not a bad way of life believe me I know. There's plenty of small farmers making a good living.

[376OG]

Threestarpr,

Thats is a great Idea, but it will not rebuild Gary. All of theses images are very sad, but we must remember how and WHY Gary was created. Perhaps Gary should not have been built. Its founders were evil, greedy men who had no intention of creating a "middle class". This evil core never left the city and infected the futre "fathers" of the city.--Hence the ugly racism that later consumed the city, and ultimately ruined it.

[Metalman9842]

@376OG

Ah yes, making money is "evil" and "greedy". Employing thousands of people is "evil". Idiot.

[Netshark86]

OMG, I feel sick.

[newvirtualmind]

nice vid and music