Let's Go Places: MegaVacay Wrap Up

 

Oh friends, we've had such a wonderful vacation but all good things must come to an end.  It's now Sunday, and we're going home on Monday.

Sunday - the last day

I headed out on Sunday morning in the direction of Spring Green and then kept going for a bit.  My destination was the AD German Warehouse in Richland Center, WI.

I didn't need my GPS to tell me that I had arrived to know that I had arrived.

The backstory is that back in the day a man named AD German was running a few successful businesses in the area, and wanted a bang up warehouse to expand his operations.  He met FLW and got the design for his MegaWarehouse and started building in 1917.  Four years later German had to put a pause on the project due to the fatal combo of a decrease in business plus the construction being insanely over budget.  The building has been used for a variety of things over the years, and is currently in the process of being restored.  It's available for rentals for special events, and there are tours.

My favorite part is the prototype floor to ceiling "lily pads" that we saw last month at the SC Johnson Wax HQ.

You will notice that the row of pillars on the left have a decoration at the top and the row of pillars on the right do not.  The fancy ones are closer to street view and the theory is that not decorating the back pillars was a cost saving move.

So yes the AD German Warehouse is what it says it is...a warehouse.  But it was the most interesting warehouse that I've ever been in.

I made tracks for my final FLW hit of the trip.  Welcome to FLW: Tiny House Edition.

The Seth Peterson Cottage, was one of FLW's last commissions.  Peterson was a young Wisconsin man who grew up on FLW lore and wanted to be an architect.  He was turned down for the Taliesin apprenticeship program, and made his career in early computers.  After asking a few times FLW eventually agreed to design a small cottage for him.

One of the things that I love about touring FLW sites is hearing about the original owners.  One general conclusion that I've come is that having a grand mansion is not the secret to happiness.  There are lots of tales of sad ends for weathly FLW clients.  In contrast, the stereotypical ending that I hear for the "everyday" folk that he designed for is that for the most part they lived happily ever after in their houses until they died.

Seth Peterson was an exception to the "everyday folk are happy" rule.  Both he and FLW died before the cottage was complete.  FLW passed due to being 91 years old, and Peterson died by suicide at the age of 24.  His parents completed construction and the cottage cycled through various hands, and fell into disrepair.  Meanwhile the state of Wisconsin bought the land that it was on with eyes on a state park.  Plan A was to bulldoze everything on the site and let it all return to nature, but the FLW Fan Club pipped up and said "hey go ahead and bulldoze all of the other cottages but maybe keep the historically significant one?" so that became Plan B.

The cottage is only 880 square feet, but every one of them is put to good use.

According to legend, Peterson put a 1959 penny in the cement of the living room floor.  One of the people who was involved in the 1990s restoration repeated the legacy, as did the team that worked on the floor later on.  The person who left the 1990s penny was our tour guide!  She says that she hopes that the floor will retain its "three penny" status.

The Seth Peterson Cottage is no Fallingwater, but it still has a breathtaking view from the back porch.

The Seth Peterson Conservancy has butted heads with the state on a number of restoration issues.  One of many battles that they fought was in getting permission to use "FLW inspired" shelters for the shed and wood pile.  The state allowed it only on the condition that they disclose to everyone that these are not FLW designs.  I would like to document that the conservancy followed the rules and disclosed the non-FLW status to the tour group.

Today the Peterson Cottage is available for rentals and tours are given on the second Sunday of each month.

With that, my grand FLW bender was over.  I headed back to the Airbnb and cooked up the final installment of my host's chickens' eggs for brinner, and then took it to the bike trail.

The next morning I timed my departure for later in the morning to avoid CHI rush hour.  Mile by mile passed by, and I was home and in the arms of my family.

MegaVacay 2024 Wrap Up

I'm so glad that I made this trip!  I did not visit every FLW site in Wisconsin - the two that I couldn't fit in are the Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee and another school in Spring Green - but I saw most of them and it's OK to have an incomplete set.  I have consolation in all of the bonus visits to state capitols, the Tinker Swiss Cottage, and the USS Cobia. 

But forget FLW, the Cool Blogger Squad is where it's at.  Can you imagine going to Minnesota/Wisconsin and not meeting up with Lisa, Anne, and Engie?  There are a limited number of FLW sites in this world but no limit on the good times to have with Cool Bloggers.

My finally mileage tally for the trip was 2,500 miles, and I had a lot of busy days.  Yet I came home feeling relaxed and refreshed.  10/10 would go on an IL/MN/WI FLW bender again.

Thanks for reading along and letting me relive vacation!