For any horror movie fans or aspiring horror filmmakers out there, having an inn of your own would provide the perfect canvas for reenacting your favorite horror moments, such as the shower scene from "Psycho" or “Here’s Johnny!” from "The Shining" (come to think of it, if you ever find yourself in a scenario reminiscent of a horror movie, stay away from the bathroom). But for one particular inn that just hit the market, it isn’t just horror movie buffs that might be interested in making the $665,000 purchase, but fans of architecture, as well.
The Usonian Inn, which was previously known as the Rest Haven Motel (which sounds like a name that could have been taken directly from an old horror movie), is an 11-room motor lodge in Spring Green, Wis., that was constructed in 1952. What makes this particular inn noteworthy is that Jesse C. Caraway, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the structure.
As Curbed.com reports, the Park Inn in Mason City, Iowa, is the only hotel still in existence that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, but The Usonian Inn proudly displays many Wright-inspired characteristics. The most prominent of which is without question the use of cantilevered overhangs.
The V-shaped building was one of the first to use aluminum siding, which was provided by Reynolds Metals for free as a promotional tool, and was also once considered for a feature in Life magazine. Currently, the inn is listed on the State and National Register of Historic places.
And don’t let the old horror trope of haunted or creepy inns scare you away, the Usonian Inn has undergone more than a few facelifts in an effort to keep the structure looking young. In 1992, the inn’s grounds were freshly landscaped and the current owners, Carolina and Theo Dursina, have provided significant upgrades, as well, such as the addition of sustainable fixtures and double-glazed windows and a new roof.
While the $665,000 price tag certainly isn’t cheap, the building’s unique history and quality location near Spring Green, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin home and studio, and the Wisconsin River do make for an intriguing purchase.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Gold Award: Westin Book Cadillac Hotel & Condominiums Detroit, Mich.
“From eyesore to icon.” That's how Reconstruction Awards judge K. Nam Shiu so concisely described the restoration effort that turned the decimated Book Cadillac Hotel into a modern hotel and condo development. The tallest hotel in the world when it opened in 1924, the 32-story Renaissance Revival structure was revered as a jewel in the then-bustling Motor City.
| Aug 11, 2010
Silver Award: Palmer House Hilton Hotel & Shops Chicago, Ill.
Chicago's Palmer House Hilton holds the record for the longest continuously operated hotel in North America. It was originally built in 1871 by Potter Palmer, one of America's first millionaire developers. When it was rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire it became the first hotel in the U.S. to put a telephone in every room.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gulf Coast Hotel's Stormy Road to Recovery
After his initial tour of the dilapidated 1850s-era Battle House Hotel, Ron Blount, construction manager with Retirement Systems of Alabama, said to his boss: “You need a priest more than you need a contractor.” Those words were more prescient to RSA's restoration of the historic Mobile landmark than he could have known at the time.
| Aug 11, 2010
Lifestyle Hotel Trends Around the World
When the Rocco Forte Collection opens the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily in early 2009, the 200-room luxury property will be one of the world's newest lifestyle hotels. Lifestyle hotels cater to guests seeking a heightened travel experience, which they deliver by offering distinctive—some would say avant-garde, or even outrageous—architecture, room design, amenities, and en...
