National Historic Landmark

Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House

Chalk Hill (Stewart Township), Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Listed
May 15, 2000
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
00000708

About this property

Kentuck Knob (also known as the Hagan House) is a house in Stewart Township within Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. Designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the Usonian style, the residence was developed for I. N. Hagan, the owner of a local ice-cream firm, along with his wife Bernardine. It is built on the southern slope of a knoll known as Kentuck Knob, overlooking the Youghiogheny River gorge. The name of the house and knoll is derived from Little Kentuck, a hill in Fayette County named by an 18th-century settler who was planning to move to Kentucky. The house is designated as a National Historic Landmark. I. N. and Bernardine Hagan had learned of Wright's work through Edgar J. Kaufmann, a businessman who had hired Wright to design the Fallingwater house in Fayette County. The Hagans purchased 79 acres (32 ha) of land near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in July 1953 and asked Wright to design a Usonian home for them. Despite being busy with multiple other projects, Wright agreed to design a house at Kentuck Knob, which was completed in 1956. The Hagans lived at Kentuck Knob until 1986, when they sold the property to Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo. The house was damaged by a fire shortly afterward, and the Palumbo family renovated the house afterward. Kentuck Knob has been open to the public for tours since 1996, and a visitor center there was completed in 2003. The estate, accessed by a driveway from Pennsylvania State Route 2010, includes approximately 8,800 trees and a sculpture garden for the Palumbo family's art collection. The house itself is made of redwood and locally-quarried stone, with an overhanging copper roof and two exterior terraces. It is laid out around a hexagonal floor plan, which consists of two wings that partially surround a courtyard, converging at a hexagonal core. The interior covers 2,300 square feet (210 m2) and consists of seven rooms in an open plan arrangement. The kitchen, within the house's core, is surrounded by a living room to the west and a dining room to the west. Extending northeast of the core are three bedrooms, which are partially embedded into the hillside. The house's carport, which includes an art studio, is attached to the bedroom wing.

Location

Chalk Hill (Stewart Township), Fayette County, Pennsylvania
39.87042, -79.52136
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House

This page lists Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Fallingwater
Modern
3.8 mi
Rush House
Industrial
5 mi
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Early Republic
5 mi
Fayette-Springs Hotel
Industrial
5.1 mi
Downer Tavern
Early Republic
5.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Fort Necessity approaches / Great Meadows
1754Colonial
4.4 mi
Battle of Fort Necessity July 3 1754
1754Colonial
5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House listed on the National Register?

Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 15, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House?

Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House?

The period of significance for Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Fayette County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Fayette County.

Explore FayetteCounty ›

More historic places in Pennsylvania

Browse all historic places in Pennsylvania.

View Pennsylvaniahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Pennsylvania history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Pennsylvaniahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Hagan, I. N. and Bernadine, House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report