Cedar Rock State Park

About Cedar Rock State Park

When businessman Lowell Walter of Iowa died in August 1981, he and his wife, Agne, left the house he had designed for their children to the Iowa Conservation Commission and the people of Iowa.

Designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this house is set on a limestone cliff overlooking the Wapsipinicon River. Walter House is one of Wright's most complete designs, and almost everything in Cedar Rock bears the architect's stamp.

He designed all the furniture, chose the curtains, chose the carpets and even the accessories (he chose curtains and designed furniture for his wife Agne and their children).

Walter House is a simplified house style developed by Frank Lloyd Wright and called Usonian. The roof and floor are concrete, and the bedroom wing of the house is shaped like the tail of a tadpole.

Cedar Rock began in 1948 and was completed in 1950, followed by the construction of two other houses in the same style, one in 1953 and one in 1954.

Each house is one floor and the total length is about 150 feet, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and dining room, and a kitchen.

Everything at Walter Residence is compact and efficient, from the living / dining room combination that Wright called the Garden Room to everything in between. The garden rooms have fireplaces that can hold up to five feet of tree trunks, as well as a fireplace.

Open glass doors open to the living area, and the views of the wooded valley and Cedar Rock State Park are breathtaking.

The house is equipped with natural light and is ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, fishing or hiking in the park.

A stained glass window and skylights were installed to brighten the interior and release the hot air trapped in the ceiling. A wide overhang with an upward tilted edge shadows the glass walls and softens the sunlight. Behind the vines - overhanging trees - there is an opening that provides shade in summer and light in winter. Even at night, artificial light creates an effect of natural light, but not at the expense of the natural lighting of the house.

The Walters are rightly proud of Cedar Rock and have committed to maintaining the residence by providing a trust fund for the permanent maintenance of the property. Little has changed since the construction and the house, but the structure and furnishings are in good condition.