The Goetsch-Winckler Residence Gallery

1939
S.269

2410 Hulett Rd.
Okemos, Michigan 48864

I visited the Goetsch-Winkler House at noon on Sunday, September 1, 2024.  I had originally planned just to drive by the house on my way to the Flint Airport on my last day in Michigan, but when I realized that the owners (Nate Meyer and his wife) typically invited guests to visit the home on Sunday afternoons, I altered my schedule a bit so I could see this house.  I am so glad I did!  It is a historic house, and, as William Storrer says “…a high point in early Usonian design.”  Built for two old maid  Michigan State art professors, the structure is an in-line home on a 4-foot-square grid with masonry and walls of horizontal sunk redwood batten sandwiches.  It has two bedrooms which open to a closed lanai.  The cantilever of the carport reaches 18 feet from the support wall (located in the workspace/kitchen).  The two art professor friends hired Harold Turner to built the home, and, with his help and without the approval of FLLW, they added several features not in Wright’s plans.  One addition was a root  cellar under the carport, where the occupants could store food.  Another was a mechanical space with a hidden door, located under a corner of the living room.  The owners were so kind and generous with their time and their knowledge of FLLW in general and this home in particular.  It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!  Below are many of the photographs I took that day.  You may also consider reading my blog post that includes my visit to this wonderful FLLW creation.