Samara - The John & Catherine Christian House

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Samara - The John & Catherine Christian House

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Experience the natural beauty of Samara, a National Historic Landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Samara earned National Historic Landmark status in 2015.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1956 for John and Catherine Christian, Samara is one of the most complete Usonian houses in the United States. The Christians spent more than 50 years implementing Wright’s detailed plans for the home’s furnishings, rugs, curtains landscape, and other elements. Indiana Landmarks is a co-steward of Samara, owned by the John E. Christian Family Memorial Trust, Inc. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit samara-house.org.

10/02/2026

Every generation that cares for a historic place ultimately decides what the next generation will inherit. During a recent roof replacement project at Samara, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed John and Catherine Christian House in West Lafayette, crews uncovered rare Philippine mahogany that the decorative copper roofline had concealed for decades, raising new questions about what to protect for Samara's future and why.

➡️ Read more: "Beneath the Fascia: Saving Samara's Historic Mahogany" https://www.samara-house.org/2026/09/beneath-the-fascia-saving-samaras-historic-mahogany/

Indiana Landmarks co-stewards Samara with the John E. Christian Family Memorial Trust, Inc., working to preserve the extraordinary property and share its remarkable story.

📸: Nathan Allaire and John E. Christian Family Memorial Trust Archives ⁠
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09/24/2026

🎉Samara presents its 1st Annual Speaker Series event: Rethinking Nature and Landscape in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonia

Join us for a special program at Lafayette’s Duncan Hall on Wednesday, October 14th featuring guest speaker Anna Andrzejewski, professor of architectural history at University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Anna Andrzejewski, professor of architectural history at University of Wisconsin–Madison, presents an exploration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s professed deep reverence for nature and his practice of reshaping—and sometimes dramatically altering—the natural world to meet his architectural vision.

While inspired by transcendentalist thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Wright often introduced non-native trees, shrubs, and other plantings, especially evident in the landscapes of his Usonian houses, that seem at odds with contemporary ideas on ecological restoration. In her talk, Andrzejewski suggests Wright’s approach is best understood through the lens of early and mid-twentieth century conservation, an ethos that emphasized the active management and improvement of the environment. Learning to understand Wright within this historical context can not only provide deeper insight into the architect’s work but can better inform restoration and preservation at Wright sites today.

➡️Advanced registration is required. Purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rethinking-nature-and-landscape-in-frank-lloyd-wrights-usonia-tickets-1999411928902?aff=oddtdtcreator

📸Image Credits
Slide 1: Samara Archive, 1960s
Slide 2: Alexander Vertikoff, 2006
Slide 3: Jonathan Adams, 2026
Slide 4: Alexander Vertikoff, 2006

06/11/2026

🤔 At some point, nearly every conversation on the merits of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, arrives at the same tired punchline: “But the roof leaked.”

The remark is sometimes delivered as if to dismiss Wright’s profound contributions to modern architecture, but recent roof replacement at Samara — a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in West Lafayette co-stewarded by Indiana Landmarks — illustrates how modern building technology is finally beginning to catch up to Wright's ambitious architectural ideas.

➡ Read more: https://www.samara-house.org/2026/05/modern-age-roofing-supporting-wrights-vision-at-samara/

📸: Roof construction at Samara in 2025, 1991, and 1955. Courtesy John E. Christian Family Memorial Trust Archive and Nathan Allaire.

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04/22/2026

We anticipated sharing the latest realization of Frank Lloyd Wright’s plans at Samara at the start of this season, but the year is beginning a bit differently than we expected.

Samara is open for the 2026 season with its floors fully uncovered! Due to unexpected delays, our new carpet is not yet installed, giving visitors a limited-time chance to see the house with its original concrete floors fully visible. Complete installation of the new carpet is anticipated before July.

Tours are now available. Reservations are required to visit and can be made through our website. samara-house.org/events/

📸: Nathan Allaire, 2026. View of Living Room, View of Primary Bedroom, and Close-up of Fireplace.

03/31/2026

Samara was honored to be represented at the 2026 Wright Site Directors Summit at Wingspread. We are grateful to be part of a community working together to preserve and advance Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy.

Leaders representing about 30 buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that are open to the public gathered at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, March 16-18, for the Wright Site Directors Summit. Co-hosted by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and The Johnson Foundation, this convening brought together the people responsible for the stewardship and operation of these landmarks with the opportunity to share best practices and discuss solutions to challenges that they have in common. Inaugurated in 2014 and taking place every other year since 2022, these gatherings play a key role in strengthening the Wright community and supporting the long-term preservation of these important cultural assets.

https://savewright.org/the-johnson-foundation-at-wingspread-hosts-2026-wright-site-directors-summit/

Address

1301 Woodland Avenue
West Lafayette, IN
47906

Telephone

+17654095522

Website

http://www.samara-house.org/

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