Home»2009-Wright Extravaganza»Duncan House and Polymath Park

Polymath Park is an architectural masterpiece by Peter Berndtson (1909-1972), one of the original Frank Lloyd Wright apprentices. It is nestled in the heart of the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania, surrounded by private forest. The property is less than an hour drive from Pittsburgh. Berndtson’s original 1962 master plan for the 125-acre property, which he named Treetops & Mountain Circles, called for building a total of 24 houses each set within a 300-foot circular clearing within the woods. The network of roads and circular clearings would have looked like a bunch of grapes from the air. Interstitial land between the houses was supposed to be used for community facilities such as tennis courts, baseball diamonds, swimming ponds, and orchards. Only three houses, however, were ever built. The Balter House was built in 1964 and the Blum House in 1965. The rest of the land was left in its natural state, allowing the property to retain its exceptional beauty. Both houses are mentioned in the book Organic Vision by Aaron Sheon and Donald Miller (Hexagon Press, 1980).