Mid Century Frank Lloyd Wright in Bakersfield

In the 1950s, what do you do when you want one of the world's most famous architects to design your house? If you're Mildred Ablin of Bakersfield, California, it's simple. You write him a letter. In June 1958, Ablin wrote to Frank Lloyd Wright, saying that she had always been thrilled by his work, but there was no representation of it in her hometown. She continued: "We hope to make this home one of fundamental beauty and of functional patterns to supply our needs, both material and intangible." According to an article in the LA Times, her son Robin Ablin recalled that the request was mostly for fun. The family thought he would be too busy and too famous to consider a project in Bakersfield. They were wrong. Much to the surprise of neurosurgeon Dr. George Ablin and his wife, Wright accepted. The Usonian style house was designed in 1958 and completed in 1961. It was the next to last house that Wright designed before he died in 1959. The 3,233-square-foot house was designed for a large family with six or seven children, as Mrs. Ablin wrote to Wright. It has five be­drooms, four ba­throoms, li­ving room, di­ning room, kit­chen with fa­mily di­ning bar, of­fice, laundry room, family/playroom, ter­race, patio, sto­r­age buil­ding, and a tri­an­gu­lar-shaped pool. Interior photographs show Wright-designed furniture, built-ins, and a large, open fireplace. Many Wright houses are based on a geometric shape. The Ablin House is created around a diamond motif, with its angles and deep roof overhangs designed to draw in a lot of light. You might think pink is an odd color for a Frank Lloyd Wright creation and you would be right. That color wasn't Wright's original intent, but instead is the result of an accident. Wright's design incorporated the colors of the Sierra Nevada Mountains into its exterior. It was supposed to have gray concrete blocks embedded with purple flecks. Unfortunately, a masonry installation mistake left the blocks with marks that couldn't be removed. The house is a private residence with no public tours. It is also the only Wright structure in California that you can't even get a glimpse of from the street. In fact, this gate is the only thing you will be able to see from there. You might see it if you play a round of golf on the adjacent golf course.