I ran across these while scrounging around at wichitaphotos.net.
Their text: "Exterior, front view of “Wichita House,” constructed near Wichita in Rose Hill, Kansas, in 1948. A 1948 Packard automobile is parked at right. The visionary design by R. Buckminster Fuller was based on his 1927 plan for a mass-produced house called the Dymaxion Dwelling Machine. Beech Aircraft Company constructed the house to demonstrate affordable, prefabricated housing that would take advantage of World War II surplus materials. The structure was made of aluminum and designed to withstand the elements, including a Kansas tornado. This model was one of only two prototypes ever produced. In 1991 the William Graham family donated it to the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Fuller...coined the term “Dymaxion” by combining two favorite words, “dynamic” and ”maximize”"
I spent about 3 years in Witchita for 6th 7th and 8th grade. William Graham was a friend of my father and we got to go out and play with his kids. The house had an additional addition to the right side of the top photograph made of wood bricks with a fire pole fromt he 2nd story to the first. I remember how comforable and airy the Buckminster Fuller part of the house was. It is sort of a shame that that may not be there any more. Many fond memories. The address there would be 2009 Easy Street this year. He changed the address each year.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Rick Piva and I am still currently the WORLD CHAMPION TRICK SPINCASTER and I met Bill Graham Senior through my friends the Kellys who owned at the time the living trademark for Remington Peters Firearms Ammunition """DUKE ""THE DUCK CALLING DOG. My other friend Robert Pope from Wichita was one of the IRON MEN! SO Bill Graham invited me to stay all by myself in his """ROUND HOUSE" which I did and I had fun with the slot machine he had in the house and I was there to perform my unusual entertainment at Bill Grahams annual 4th of July golf tournament at his country club in 1974! I booked my act at four different country clubs on the same day 4th of July way back in 1974 but the thing I will remember most is how Bill Graham treated me with such total respect and with complete and shear AWE in my ability to break clay birds in flight with a fishing rod and reel which up till that time Mr. Graham had never seen anyone champion such an unusual cause and he was so impressed he couldn't wait to take me fishing in his lake with the Kellys and I caught a stunning 8 pound large mouth bass out of his prized lake there in the picture with fishing rod and reel and of course I had the total fun of catch and release and BILL GRAHAM SENIOR was extremely and profoundly in awe of my skills as not just a marksman with my fishing rod and reel but at how I could entertain the masses with such eloquence! He also invited me to his main house on the water to fish in his living room literally from his ""EASY CHAIR" dangling the rod and reel down into the water through a trap door under the carpeting in the living room in front of the fireplace. Bill Graham and I went up on the roof top and we drove golf balls from the roof and aimed at a huge metal portable swimming pool which was standing on end across the water and he couldn't believe how I could nail that metal pool over and over with such pinpoint accuracy he had never seen in his entire life. I only ask now today if anyone of the Graham family reads this to please get in touch with me since I am living now currently on Maui -(as a realtor here) in Hawaii my final destination and if any of the Kellys from Rose Hill Kansas ever see this or if anyone knows of there whereabouts please have them contact me RICK PIVA at rapmaui@yahoo.com. I will forever be grateful I spent that precious week living in Bill Grahams "round house" and it was the very first and last time I can honestly say I """LIVED ON EASY STREET!"""
ReplyDeleteGod bless everyone who reads this and Bill Graham may you rest in peace amen.
I grew up in Wichita. Amy Graham started a club to foster good mothering. It was called "Mother Club" and my mom was a member from the time I was little until her death. Amy taught me how to knit. She shared this home with club members and their children and had a picnic on the grounds. We rode ponies.
ReplyDeleteAre plans for the Dymaxion home available for purchase?
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