A rare Frank Lloyd Wright home has landed on the market for the first time in seven decades. The Shavin House in Chattanooga is the legendary architect’s only project in Tennessee. Commissioned by a newlywed couple, the Shavin House was built by Wright in 1952. The couple paid roughly $33,000 for the house and Wright-designed built-in furniture. Now, the house is up for sale for an asking price of $1.6 million.
The Shavin House sits atop Missionary Ridge with sweeping views of the Tennessee River, Lookout Mountain, and downtown Chattanooga. Wright designed the Shavin House in his Usonian tradition. It is modest in scale, with plenty of open spaces bathed in natural light, while maintaining a strong relationship between architecture and landscape. The house is built from local sandstone and cypress to establish the connection with the local vernacular.
The home bears the signature Wright touches throughout, even though the architect never set foot on the site, with construction overseen by one of his apprentices, Marvin Bachman. The Shavin House has a stonework exterior, seamlessly blending with nature.
With three bedrooms and four bathrooms spanning approximately 1,800 square feet, the Shavin House is a single-story dwelling. A hidden entrance reveals the main living spaces only after entry, clerestory windows, mitered glass corners, and a massive stone fireplace serving as the centerpiece.
A dramatic cantilevered carport roof extends outward from the main building, adding a sculptural detail. The interior bears the architect’s thumbprint: built-in seating, shelving, and cabinetry. There is a wood-paneled office with a built-in corner desk and a sliding glass door leading to the paved terrace.
The Shavin House has entered the market for the first time after staying in the family for decades, as reported by Wallpaper. This offers you a golden chance to own one of the fewer than 100 completed Usonian houses in existence. Currently listed with Sandy Poe of Alliance Sotheby’s International Realty, this piece of Wright’s history can be yours for $1.6 million.
