Broad Margin
National Register Listing
Street Address:
9 W. Avondale Dr., Greenville, SC (Greenville County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817723016
Description and Narrative:
Broad Margin gains its primary significance from the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright was its architect. Designed in 1951 and completed in 1954, the house is a fine example of Wright’s natural (or “Usonian”) homes. This is one of less than 20 of Wright’s buildings in the Southeast and one of only two in South Carolina. The house is a case study for Wright’s dictum: “Shelter should be the essential look of any dwelling.” Broad Margin’s massive roof, native stone walls and massive stone chimney reflect this idea. Other construction techniques used in the structure include heated concrete floors and walls assembled with brass screws instead of nails. These unique residential building methods are exemplary of Wright’s architectural philosophy as well as his attention to detail. Broad Margin is the name given to the property by Wright. The term comes from Thoreau’s Walden in which he states, “I love a broad margin to my life.” The structure consists of about 1900 square feet of living space in addition to a carport, tool storage area, and patio. Broad Margin exemplifies Wright’s love for natural materials, his desire for open planning and his sense of the natural surroundings. His attempts to end the distinction between interior and exterior space and to create an architecture having integrity are visible in Broad Margin. Listed in the National Register December 8, 1978.
Period of Significance:
1954
Level of Significance:
State
Area of Significance:
Architecture
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
December 8 1978
