Worthington home in Frank Lloyd Wright style hits the market
A renovated home in Worthington's historic Rush Creek Village neighborhood has hit the market, offering something different for central Ohio home buyers.
The home, on White Oak Place, was built in 1959, one of the first of 50 homes eventually built in the neighborhood, all designed in Frank Lloyd Wright's "Usonian" style.
The 2,187-square-foot home reflects features that would become Rush Creek trademarks: a low profile that hugs the earth, exposed concrete block and brick (outside and in), red tile floors, wide roof overhangs, built-in furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, wood ceilings, an extensive patio, a carport instead of a garage, and an angled setting off the street.
The four-bedroom home has been listed for $875,000 by Brian Kemp with Keller Williams Capital Partners.
The home has been extensively remodeled, including an addition (a rarity for Rush Creek homes) by William Alsnauer and Karen Asmus-Alsnauer, who bought the home in 2008.
"The place was kind of a dive when we bought it," Karen recalled. "We saw past that, we saw the wonderful possibilities."
The couple were enchanted by the style and setting of Rush Creek, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
More: Original Rush Creek home in Worthington for sale after major renovations
"The architecture, most of all, is just beautiful," Karen said. "We love the Usonian architecture, the relationship of the house to the land. It's almost a seamless interface between what’s going on inside and outside the house."
But the home needed work. The kitchen was especially small by today's standards.
"We removed the back end of the house and expanded the kitchen and added a dining area," she said.
Working with an architect in the neighborhood, the couple honored the home's architectural pedigree by sourcing materials used when the home was built including Motawi tile and vintage mahogany and cypress.
The couple added design touches of their own including custom two fireplace screens made by Fortin Ironworks in Columbus, one modeled after a gate at Wright's Taliesin West complex in Arizona and the other designed to match screen doors in the home.
More: Photos: Rush Creek Sale
Rush Creek homes have historically been rare on the market, but in the last two years, seven have changed hands, ranging from $690,000 to $1.28 million, according to Zillow.
The Alsnauers, both in their mid-60s, are moving to a low-maintenance condominium, but will miss their bit of architectural history.
"It's with sadness and joy that we pass it along to the next person," Karen said. "It was a privilege to live there, and we hope people love it and enjoy it as much as we have."
jweiker@dispatch.com
@JimWeiker
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Newly listed Worthington home offers something different for buyers
