While Wright never built a home in Arkansas, the Bachman-Wilson House on Crystal Bridges’ campus has taken on special meaning in its adopted setting.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In this episode of Around the Corner, the crew stepped into the Bachman-Wilson House, a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed home that now sits on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art campus.
Originally built in New Jersey, the home was relocated to Bentonville after years of flooding damage from a nearby river threatened its structure. A family who purchased the home in the 1980s with hopes of restoring it eventually partnered with Crystal Bridges to move the house from Millstone, New Jersey to Bentonville, Arkansas.
“They moved it piece by piece,” Josie Johnson, assistant curator of modern art at Crystal Bridges, said. “They dismantled everything, shipped it here, and put it back together again.”
The home reflects Wright’s minimalist style, with many of the couches, shelving, and other furnishings built directly into the structure. Its design emphasizes shared spaces, featuring an open floor plan and a prominent family room. Wright intentionally made hallways narrow and rooms small to discourage isolation and encourage time together.
“Frank Lloyd Wright did not want you off in the bedroom by yourself. He really wanted the family together,” Johnson said.
Wright, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, is also known for designing New York’s Guggenheim Museum. While he never built a home in Arkansas, the Bachman-Wilson House has taken on special meaning in its adopted setting.
“He did not build any buildings in Arkansas,” Johnson said. “It fits so perfectly into the space because he was all about nature, and this is the Natural State.”
The house is open to the public during regular Crystal Bridges hours. Tickets are available at the museum’s front desk.