A Seattle residence has hit the market for $2.25 million, bearing a lineage that traces back to famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Now, its latest owner is ready to let someone else call it home.
Craig Wagner, a painter and former architect himself, is hoping to find a buyer who cherishes the quintessential Prairie design style of his single-family home at 3303 S. Massachusetts St. Nestled among red cedar and Douglas fir, the two-story, 2,860-square-foot house has five bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Milton Arthur Stricker, an apprentice of Lloyd Wright, built the house for his own family, including his wife and their four kids, in 1967, nearly 16 years after leaving Carnegie Mellon University on the eve of his graduation to work alongside the American icon.
Stricker went on to become a noted architect in his own right. He incorporated Lloyd Wright's design principles into the primary residence as well as nearly 130 projects he designed across Alaska, New Mexico and the Northwest. Seattle alone features a handful of Stricker's residences. The Stricker family sold the house to Wagner in 1993. Stricker later died in 2008.
"What’s unique about this home is that it has depth, texture and you’re looking out into nature. It’s beautiful," said Flora Fleet, co-listing agent with the Windermere Seattle-Mount Baker office. "Very few homes have this kind of greenery, lush and calm."
The home is about 3 miles outside of downtown Seattle in an affluent neighborhood called Mount Baker beside Lake Washington.
While the house itself is not on any historic preservation list, the residence is meant to be preserved, Fleet said. While the architectural style may deter some buyers, Fleet said she hopes it’ll attract Lloyd Wright and Stricker enthusiasts.
For Wagner, he plans to spend the rest of his retirement in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fleet said he’ll certainly miss the way the light poured into his home and the foliage surrounding the residence. Now a painter, Fleet said, Wagner often draws inspiration from Mother Nature for his creative outlet.
"It’s a bit of a lifestyle that you’re buying into with this home. The way the windows are positioned in this home, it is very light. It has this nature inside-outside feeling," Fleet said. "It gives you this amazing sense of calm."