Broad Margin
Historic Property
Street Address:
9 West Avondale Drive, Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville County)
Site Number:
207-004
Date Surveyed:
circa 1978
Category:
Building
Construction Date:
circa 1964
Current Use:
Residential/Domestic
Architect or Builder:
Frank Lloyd Wright
Exterior Walls Materials:
Concrete Block
Signficant Architectural Features:
Structure is built of 12" thick steel-reinforced concrete walls and cypress wood. Its roof has a low pitch and up to an 8' overhang on all sides except the northern side. A wood molding with a type of "dentil" design, extends along the soffit. The structure has concrete and stone walls. Windows 48" high extend continuously along three sides of the house. The entrance, located at the northeast corner, opens into a hall which serves as a "spine" to the house, from which rooms extend downhill (to the south). The entrance thus provides easy access to every part of the house, and each room is open to direct sunlight and an exterior view. The floors are highly polished red-colored concrete slabs, with copper pipes running through them. Hot water is circulated through these pipes to provide heating. Cypress boards from the ceilings, and 2-way lights are located in overhead decks. Cypress is also used for the walls. The main area of the house features a large living area and a smaller dining area. There is a massive stone fireplace, and a built-in coach is also noticeable. Located adjacent to the dining area is a small kitchen with an 18' high ceiling which culminates in skylight. These three rooms form the core of the house, while a wing which projects to the west contains two baths and three bedrooms.;Structure is located on a 2 acre sloping lot which is heavily wooded and is bordered by 2 creeks, Mt. Wright also located it that it cannot be seen from the street or any other residences in the area. ;Broad margin gains its primary significance from the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright was its architect. Designed in 1951 and completed in 1964, the house is a fine example of Wright's natural homes. This is one of less than 20 of Wright's buildings in the Southeast and one of only two in SC. Broad Margin is the name given to the property by Wright. The term comes from Thoreau's Walden in which he states, "I lova broad margin to my life."
Survey:
The Historic Resources of Greenville, SC (1981)
Archives Location:
Box 6, Series 108042, Survey of historic resources (county by county data on surface properties), circa 1971-2014
