Furor Over 2 Frank Lloyd Wright Homes for Sale on Private Island

A private 10-acre island in Carmel, NY, which includes an original Frank Lloyd Wright cottage and a newer home based on the architect’s drawings, has come on the market for $14,920,000.

“The fact that it’s a private island lends a lot of mystique to it,” says listing agent Chadwick Ciocci. “But two Frank Lloyd Wright–designed houses makes it even cooler.”

The architect’s hallmark was “organic architecture,” buildings in harmony with their surroundings, exemplified by the masterpiece Fallingwater. Imagine if Fallingwater were on an island, and you’d have an idea of the impact of this design. The main home’s concrete slabs jutting over the lake bring to mind Wright’s iconic Pennsylvania residence.

But the 5,000-square-foot main house on Petre Island (also known as Petra Island) didn’t even exist until 2007, long after the architect’s death, in 1959. In fact, the structure isn’t recognized by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation as authentic, because the group did not draw up the plans or oversee the project.

“I always wanted to live on the lake,” says Joseph Massaro, the owner of the island, who is reluctantly letting it go. Massaro, who’s always lived nearby, became aware of the island in the middle of Lake Mahopac, which he would see from his boat. When he heard the owner was open to selling, he pounced. In 1995, Massaro bought Petre Island for $700,000, with a combination of cash and proceeds from his mainland house, he says.

The 10-acre island came with a Frank Lloyd Wright cottage built in 1950 as well as architectural designs for a bigger main house.

Initially, he had no plans for the island. “What am I going to do with an island?” he recalls wondering. Then, “I actually fell in love with it.” He spent weekends renovating the cottage back to its original specifications.

The three-bedroom, one-bath cottage was built for a previous owner of the island, A.K. Chahroudi. The engineer had commissioned Wright to build the 1,200-square-foot cottage after he realized he didn’t have the $50,000 to build the bigger home he had initially asked for. With the cottage built, the designs for Chahroudi’s main house were shelved.

In 2000, Massaro sold his sheet metal company and was in search of a project. He says he approached the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to work with him to bring the main house to fruition, but they were unable to agree on a price for the project.

So he turned to architect Thomas A. Heinz, a Wright specialist. There were major challenges, from obtaining permits for the unique concrete, glass, and wood structure, to getting the materials out to the island. Everything was brought in by boat or over the frozen lake in winter.

In addition, Wright had done only preliminary drawings, so many interior details required additional research. They faithfully followed Wright’s plans to build the house around a natural rock formation, and the multiyear process was completed in 2007.

The result is “magnificent,” Massaro says. The entry is built around a massive boulder with 15-foot-high ceilings and multiple skylights.

The open plan includes a kitchen, living room, dining room, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, multiple decks, four bedrooms, and 2.5 baths. The boulders make appearances throughout the residence: in the kitchen, in a bathroom shower, and in the main living area. The updated design includes radiant floor heating.

The elongated living room resembles the prow of a ship and appears to hang over the lake. The built-in furniture—benches, tables, seating, and bookshelves—are all Wright designs.

The property comes with parking spots and a boat slip on the mainland, so you can launch from the continental U.S. to the island, which is accessible only by boat or air. One modern addition to the home is a rooftop helipad.

The private island is just 15 minutes by helicopter, or an hour’s drive, from Manhattan.

Massaro notes that he stayed true to Wright’s designation for the home’s location. “I built it in the exact spot that he picked, and I stayed with the design,” he says. “Not a room changed.”

That argument has not swayed everyone. A statement from Stuart Graff, president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, reads:

“Frank Lloyd Wright rarely built exactly what was drawn on paper. Indeed, the essence of his work was to respond to conditions, materials, and opportunities that came about as a result of the specific site for which any design was uniquely drawn. There was an evolution of the design during construction. Wright was obviously not involved in the construction of designs built after his death, and unable to complete the design process. For that reason, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation believes unbuilt works should remain unbuilt, and that buildings constructed based on Wright’s drawings should only be referred to as ‘based on’ or ‘inspired by’ Frank Lloyd Wright designs.”

Indeed, the building has sparked a debate over its authenticity among Wright fans.

Whether or not you agree with either side, there’s no debating it’s an extraordinary piece of property.

What would Wright think of his design coming to life? Says Massaro, “I know he’d love it.”