The Only Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed Home in TN Lists for $1.6 Million

There are about 400 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes still standing across the U.S., but only one in the entire state of Tennessee.

Commissioned in 1949 by building materials salesman Seamour Shavin and his new wife, Gerte, the Shavin House is a Usonian-style masterpiece perched atop Chattanooga’s historic Missionary Ridge. Crafted primarily from natural materials—including native Tennessee Crab Orchard stone and Louisiana cypress—the home exemplifies Wright’s philosophy of integrating architecture with its surroundings. The couple paid about $33,000 for the house, plus its custom Wright-designed furniture, Wallpaper reports.

The home sits nearly an acre of land on Chattanooga’s historic Missionary Ridge.

Bruce McCamish Photography

Though the architect never stepped foot on the nearly one-acre hillside site—construction was overseen by Marvin Bachman, an apprentice of Wright’s during Taliesin’s development—his goal was to create the ideal American home that was modest in size and blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor settings. 

Bachman died in a car accident before the house was completed in 1952, but his work and Wright’s original concept for the three-bedroom retreat have been well preserved by the Shavin family for over seven decades now. Seamour lived there until his death in 2005, and Gerte lived there part-time until 2020. It is now being offered by the family with an asking price of $1.6 million. Sandy Poe of Alliance Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing. 

The wood-paneled office/study has built-in shelving and an integrated desk.

Bruce McCamish Photography

Beyond the front door, discreetly tucked beneath the cantilevered carport, the open-plan layout is punctuated by walls of glass that frame multiple perspectives of Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee River. An imposing stone fireplace anchors the living room beneath a soaring butterfly roof, while a stone terrace outside the dining area capitalizes on the home’s elevated perch.

Elsewhere, a den and an office are illuminated by skylights and Wright’s signature clerestory windows. The primary bedroom incorporates built-in drawers, an integrated desk, and enough space for a king-size bed, along with a mitered corner window that draws the surrounding landscape into the space. Blooming gardens and a pond round out the picturesque property.

The primary bedroom features a mitered corner window.

Bruce McCamish Photography

RELATED: 14 Stunning Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings You Can Tour From Your Laptop

Shavin House landed a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 and became Chattanooga’s first official local landmark in 1995. It remains the city’s only individually designated local landmark, underscoring its significance among Tennessee’s most important residential landmarks.

Click here for more photos of the only Frank Lloyd Wright home in Tennesse.

Bruce McCamish Photography

Authors

Demetrius Simms

Demetrius Simms is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. Following a brief stint in public relations, their work has now appeared in lifestyle and culture publications such as Men’s Health, Complex…

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