Harold Price Sr. House
Paradise Valley, AZ 1954
Harold C. Price Sr. and his wife, Mary Lou, commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design their house in Phoenix in 1954. Price was the owner of the H. C. Price Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and commissioned Wright to design the 19- story Price Tower to serve the firm, which specialized in pipeline construction, in 1952. The Prices returned to Wright for the design of this winter house while the tower was under construction. The house was nicknamed “Grandma House” based upon Mrs. Price’s intention to have her grandchildren visit her during their vacations at this dwelling. The single-story flat-roofed concrete block structure is an in-line plan that steps up at several points following the contours of the property. An atrium, centered between the bedroom and living spaces, features a ceiling that projects two feet above the adjoining wings. The resulting clerestory is semi-open to the outdoors. An unusual copper fascia adorns the entire structure. A carport and guest wing is angled at 30 degrees from the main structure. A master bedroom of Wright’s design was added at the terminus of the family bedroom wing in 1957. The house is most unusual in its detailing, which Jack Howe reported delighted Wright. The house is open for tours by the Price House Foundation by appointment.
For more information:
pricehousefoundation.org