Polymath Park Resort

A wonderful gem in the Laurel Highlands! A Frank Lloyd Wright home & 2 apprentice homes. Tour them or stay there. Wonderful restaurant — Treetops! Off the beaten path. Owners Tom & Heather created a labor of love that shows when you visit. Went to the Holiday Progressive Dinner — such a wonderful evening!

We stayed at the Blum House and loved it. Simple design with straight lines and glass set in a serene wooded area. Clean and comfortable. Would go back.

Probably a place I wouldn’t have discovered if not for the exposure Groupon provides.
Polymath Park Resort, located an easy hour drive southeast of Pittsburgh and not far from famed Fallingwater, is an experience that should be considered by anyone interested in Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW), architecture in general, Mid-​Century Modern aesthetics, or those just willing to do something a little bit off the beaten path. Last Friday my mom and I, thanks to Groupon, got acquainted with this special place via a tour of 3 structures on the property – Blum House, Balter House, and Duncan House, in that order.
First, some information that isn’t apparent on the website: Polymath Park Resort is a small operation run by a husband-​wife team and skeleton crew. The work they’ve taken on to help preserve these structures and the FLW legacy is admirable, truly a labor of love. Had I known this in advance I would have been less stressed about my tour reservation calls not being promptly answered and the fact that tours are not necessarily available for every day and time combination indicated on the website. FYI, reservations are very much required, and one isn’t able to enter the 100-​acre scenic wooded complex otherwise. I don’t doubt that Heather, the wife component of the husband-​wife team mentioned above, rearranged her personal schedule to accommodate my mom and me on short notice.
Blum and Balter were designed in the 1960s by Peter Berndtson, a FLW apprentice. Duncan House is a FLW-​designed «Usonian home,» a pre-​fabricated house that was moved in pieces from its original location in Illinois to Polymath Park Resort about 7 years ago. The house and its contents arrived in 4 trailers, which, interestingly, are still on-​site near Balter House. The trailer contents were assembled and open to the public only about a year later, and, furthermore, the house was assembled using only the original blueprints since the catalog wasn’t available. An incredible feat, isn’t it?
On Friday we drove the short distance between the structures, following Heather and getting out at each stop to learn about the exterior and interior of each house. Our trip to Balter was a little awkward as there happened to be a couple renting the house at the time. The vacationers were perfectly polite, though I’m not sure others would be so pleased to have their time interrupted. Staggering lodging reservations and tours is something that’s presumably not easy but nevertheless should be considered to keep customers happy.
Balter, with all its dark wood and moodiness, was my personal favorite, though all the homes are unique and impressive and have lovely views. I know Heather and her crew have a lot in store for Polymath Park Resort, including wedding packages and a spa, so I’m excited to see how things progress during the next few years.
Lastly, I have to say I’m so glad photographs were permitted during the tour. Heather mentioned a no photos rule that had been in effect previously and she was patient while my mom and I snapped away. I’d have been extremely disappointed had we not been able to photograph this cool experience!