Original Owner	Lowell Walter
Address	Cedar Rock Park, Quasqueton
Year Built	1945

Lowell Walter owned the Iowa Road Building company.  He had invented an asphalt topping for country road, and did contracting work throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In 1942 he paved one of the roads near Taliesin.  Not aware of who Wright was, he asked him who owned Taliesin.  When Walter sold his business in 1944, he started buying farms in the Quasqueton area.  By 1943 he had acquired 17 farms and 3,500 acres, including property on both banks of the Wapsipinicon river.  Planning for the house began in 1945, construction began in 1948 and the house was completed in 1950.

The house was designed to be a warm weather retreat for the Walters, they continued to spend the winter months of the year at their home in Des Moines.  The house is basically in-line in plan, except that the 32 foot square "garden room", is angled 30 degrees to give a better view of the nearby river.  The garden room is the main space of the house.  Two of the walls of this room are entirely of glass.  The ceiling is of reinforced concrete, in the center it is pierced by skylights that bring strong light directly into the room. The soffits were originally beige, but were changed to brick red at Wright's suggestion.  In addition to the house, Wright also designed a boathouse, council ring, and gate.  The cost of the house has been estimated to be between $100,000 and $135,000 dollars.

As was typical with Wright's Usonian houses, it is heated by gravity heat.  But unlike most other houses, it has removable concrete floor panels that allow access to the underground heating system.  In the bathrooms Wright used a Pullman type combination of sink, toilet and bathtub. Wright designed the furniture of the house, and was asked for assistance in the choice of carpeting, drapes, and even the housewares, plates, glassware and silverware.  All of these remain with the house.

Lowell Walters donated the house and property to the people of Iowa upon his death in 1981.  It is open for tours on a regular basis, click here for details.

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