Architect Edward Nilsson discusses Ada Louise Huxtable’s residence. She had outlined and completed research for a book entitled Ranch House before her untimely passing in January 2013. While not a common scholarly topic or one that fits the template of her incisive architectural critiques, the ranch house may be considered not only an extension of the themes in her 2004 book Frank Lloyd Wright, but also the subject of a house type she lived in for part of each year for three decades. What began as an ordinary and commonplace residence became an example of the adaptability of this truly American style with emphasis on its indoor-outdoor relationship. This lecture aims to show how the modifications in her own modest ranch house reflected what she valued in architecture.

Co-presented by Historic Salem, Inc. and Salem Athenaeum.