The Sale of "Broad Margin"
A Late Frank Lloyd Wright Masterpiece

by Marlene Biondo

I walked past the carport to the all-wood front door. I rang the doorbell, and to my right, at eye level, I saw a 4"x4" ceramic square with the initials FLlW. Cherokee red, Frank Lloyd Wright's signature color, glazed the surface of the tile. My palm crossed the surface of the tile, and at that moment, I knew that Frank Lloyd Wright had once stood right here, and that I was about to meet him through one of the over 750 architectural works created by this genius of architecture.

The doorbell rang and Mr. Roy Palmer, the then co-owner of the home answered the door. Mr. Palmer welcomed me for the scheduled interview. The home's entrance was one of unexpected privacy. From the foyer through the extended hallway in place of large draped windows were many small windows which created a balanced composition and illumination framed by tidewater cypress panels. From the ceiling to the top of the structural base of concrete and exposed stone. This structural base extended from the actual base to the chair rail height. The hallway was lined with bookshelves made of tidewater cypress, and the series of delightful miniature windows. The delicate windows shed light through the home, yet allowed those within to be sheltered from the road, and the carport beyond the wall. The building materials used were almost entirely natural. The use of organic materials such as concrete, rock, and tidewater cypress has allowed the home to remain almost entirely in its original form without the need of painting or refurbishing. Mr. Palmer added that because these natural materials are so durable they do not show age or distress, and they are easy to maintain.

When asked what shortcomings the house might have, Mr. Palmer stated that the closets were too small for his wardrobe. Another noted drawback might be the small kitchen. Most homes built during that time did not have big kitchens. He added that now, many families like a large kitchen, and use it as a gathering place for the family as well as for entertaining friends. As time passes, people have different desires in a home. Architecture changes to meet it's particular societies' needs. One such change would be the front porches on people's homes. Now families like their privacy, and keep to themselves. There is not such an open neighborhood feeling. You don't necessarily know every family on the block. Now the porches have moved to the back of the house and they are no longer porches, but decks, where families gather in the privacy and seclusion of their back yards.

Mr. Palmer's interior decor included several unique sculptural works and paintings, with bonsai and Japanese influence in the books on the coffee table in the living room, and several fresh cut plants placed in frogs created unique floral statements bringing nature from the outside to the inner sanctity of this comfortable dwelling. Frank Lloyd Wright admired Japanese art and architecture although he was reluctant to admit the influence in his work. He would have preferred to be seen as the consummate original, and that is truly what he was. However, even a creative genius like Frank Lloyd Wright would be amiss not to recognize the beauty and simple honesty in Japanese art and architecture. Japanese culture abounds with strong relationships to nature. Frank Lloyd Wright's interest in natural form creates a harmonious discussion from within the home, both in its structure and its decor, to the environment beyond its ribbon windows to the broad margin of acreage covered with trees, plantings, and rocks. An occasional Japanese pagoda, and a fish hanging from a tree give added hints toward the recognition of this Japanese influence.

Whether form follows function, or function follows form is not necessary to discuss here. It is more important to understand that in a marriage of form and function, unity is the result. Unity as seen in "Broad Margin" rarely happens in modern architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright was a perfectionist that combined form and function routinely, and exactingly, as if the two were knitted together from their conception on the drafting table to their ultimate birth in architectural expression.

Mr. Palmer revealed the history of "Broad Margin" and how it came to life. He explained that the home had been built for Gabrielle and Charlsey Austin. The two sisters had commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to create a home for them. Mr. Palmer recalled that it was Gabrielle Austin who was the originator of the plan. Mr. Palmer knew the history well, because Gabrielle and Charlsey Austin had occasionally visited Mr. Palmer and his wife after the Palmers had become the new owners of "Broad Margin." The Austin sisters told their new friends about how the home came to be as they sipped tea in the living room on long sunny afternoons. Mr. Palmer said the plan began after Gabrielle Austin took a course in architecture at Clemson University. She carried armloads of books from Clemson University's library, and studied them with great interest. She became fascinated with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. After a period of study, Gabrielle Austin decided that Frank Lloyd Wright should design their new home. The two sisters were librarians, and the creation of this home became their fervent goal. Gabrielle Austin was persistent in her requests to Frank Lloyd Wright. It took Gabrielle Austin two years to convince Frank Lloyd Wright to design their home, and two more years for the home to be built. The first lot chosen by the Austin sisters was refused by Frank Lloyd Wright. At that point in his career, he no longer created homes on lots, as he had in his early career as a young architect in Chicago. He would however, consent to design the home on approved acreage. After a parcel of land was agreed upon, Frank Lloyd Wright began the arduous process of designing a home for Gabrielle and Charlsey Austin. There was one special requirement agreed upon. The home would have to be able to house thousands of books. Keeping in mind that the two librarians loved to read, this home environment would need to satisfy their passion for books. Frank Lloyd Wright willingly agreed and gracefully accomplished that goal with bookshelves made of tidewater cypress in the living room, hallway, and various places in the bedrooms and den. The locations of the bookshelves to the home continues to be graceful and attractive. The shelves never dominate a complete wall. They fit into each room or hall in a pleasing and practical manner.

Frank Lloyd Wright believed in using every available space to its fullest measure. He did not like attics. He refused to waste expense or space in the roof. In the creation of "Broad Margin," Frank Lloyd Wright used tidewater cypress on the ceiling of the home, along with structural beams instead of trusses. The added ceiling space lifts one with a feeling of spaciousness and accents the central rock and mortar fireplace that spans the space between the floor and the ceiling and extends upward beyond the roof. Economy linked with form and function create the desired result in this unique home--unity.

It is interesting to note that "Broad Margin" was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in his final years, or one might say his best years as an architect. Within the same time frame, Frank Lloyd Wright was planning the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. This museum was an architectural marvel based on the poetry of form as seen in a sea shell.

When Frank Lloyd Wright created, he looked to the hand of the master of all architecture--and found his inspiration in nature. He analyzed forms in nature in order to decipher just how these structures were supported. He found beauty in the forms of nature. Frank Lloyd Wright recalled that when he was a child, his mother would draw his attention to the veins and structure of a leaf. Young Frank was encouraged to observe the beauty of nature and he developed a reverence for it.

Frank Lloyd Wright felt that architecture should be in harmony with its surrounding environment. The natural environment of "Broad Margin" becomes part of the experience of the home itself. Ribbon windows with mitered glass corners keep the view open and unfettered by frames or draperies. The home is only l750 square feet, but the feeling inside is anything but small. From inside the home one feels as though they can commune with nature because the interior space and the outside environment are in perfect unity. The acreage beyond becomes part of the interior space because of the large windows, and also because of the use of organic materials in the home that relate to the same materials found beyond its ribbon windows. The feeling of spaciousness is a surprising boon to the home's actual square footage. Maximum use of natural light is achieved throughout the entire back of the home, extending from the living room, den, and bedrooms. The result is that one feels as if he or she were in the open forest without the necessity of dealing with the elements of nature. The sunlight opens the rooms, creating a feeling of beauty and light. Once one enters the quiet refuge of this home, one does not want to leave it. This home has both privacy and comfort, and communicates with its natural surroundings. It is no wonder Frank Lloyd Wright named this home "Broad Margin" for the expansive view one would need a wide angle lens to photograph the back acreage in its entirety.

"Broad Margin" was offered for sale with the asking price of $500,000 for the furniture, and $500,000 for the home and acreage. There was interest in the property from across the globe. One buyer flew in from where else?--Japan! There were many interested parties, but the victorious buyer was Rick Bristol, of Hilton Head, South Carolina. Mr.Bristol, of Bristol-Meyers-Squibb (Please have research check on spelling and ok if deemed necessary for approval) Foundation had read about the proposed sale in the paper. That evening John Swan traveled to Greenville on behalf of Rick Bristol in the middle of a thunderstorm to present a firm commitment to buy "Broad Margin." Mr. Bristol followed to firm up the offer, and the rest is history. The series of coincidences that resulted in Mr. Bristol's purchase of this home seemed like fate. Mr. Bristol has specific plans for "Broad Margin." Such plans include its continued maintenance in its original form and for use by the Clemson University Architecture Department, future mention on the historical register, and for personal and corporate use by Mr. Bristol and his family.

Mr. Bristol has a luxurious home in Hilton Head, but was quoted as saying something to the effect of. . . why do I have to go back to Hilton Head. . . why can't I just stay here? That is probably the best testament to be had about the marvel that this home is. Uncanny. . . only l,750 square feet. . . only a small unassuming home with acreage. . . built by a genius of architecture. For the soul there is so much more than just a place to live. . . when one communicates with nature. . . one comes face to face with his maker. Experiencing "Broad Margin" is a little like what heaven must be like. It is a safe haven. It is a refuge for the soul. With a "Broad Margin" one is open to far more possibilities with far more potential and optimism than one might ordinarily consider. That is what "Broad Margin" offers. . .openness. . . opportunity. . . possibilities. . . potential . . .and optimism.

To get inside this home built by Frank Lloyd Wright is to discover the mind of the architect renowned for his genius in 3-D sculpture known to most as architecture. Wright created a new American architecture separate from European influences. He was an innovator who recognized the needs of people within their environments. A dwelling must be more than just function. It needs not merely to house the body. It must also feed the soul. While walking through "Broad Margin" and the grounds beyond, I felt I was discovering the mind of a great genius. . . what a lovely walk and what a wonderfully creative mind. Frank Lloyd Wright is no longer with us on earth, but oh, did he ever create wonders upon it.