Frank Lloyd Wright overnight rental - The Elam House

About Pete Plunkett

Welcome guests. I am Pete Plunkett, the Innkeeper for the Elam House. I live in the Elam House with my son, Daran. I was born 5 months after my father Warren Plunkett, purchased the home in March, 1959 from S.P. 'Pearl' Elam. I grew up in the Elam House, went to school and graduated from Austin High School, obtained a BA degree in Business Management from St. Thomas College and a JD degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1985. I have practicing law in Austin, Minnesota since 1985. In 1987, I purchased a home across the street from the Elam House and lived there until 2006 when I moved back into the Elam House. I am also a slalom water skier competing in local, regional and national tournaments; a competition control-line model airplane pilot; an instrument rated private pilot; an Amateur Extra Class radio operator; an ice hockey player and coach; and an avid duck and pheasant hunter. I have lived in the Twin Cities, and Oklahoma City, but have spent the majority of my life in Austin. I know the Elam House very well and look forward to telling you about it and introducing you to Austin, Minnesota if you have never visited here before.

Why Pete Plunkett chose Austin

This is our family home. We enjoy the home very much and since it is the second largest Usonian home by Frank Lloyd Wright, we wanted to allow other people interested in Wright designs to stay overnight and experience the home in a more intimate manner. Wright drew plans for over 1000 homes. 532 of these designs were built and approximately 400 remain. 13 of these homes are in Minnesota and 4 are in Southern Minnesota. The Elam House is a rare treasure indeed!

What makes this House unique

Enjoy the fantastic views from either living room. Both living rooms have large windows that create one full wall of glass. Some of the windows in the main living room are Nine feet tall and three and a half feet wide. The three floor to ceiling fireplaces are a hallmark of Frank Lloyd Wright. The soaring ceilings in the living rooms are outstanding and give the effect of the room exploding upwards upon entrance. The rare cypress wood lining the ceilings and walls and the meticulous limestone work are wonderful to view and examine. Of course, there is nothing better than relaxing in the house during a thunderstorm. The rain hitting the stone coated steel roof and watching the storm roll by through the windows, it's almost as if you are out in the storm. Wright had the special gift of being able to bring the outdoors inside his homes and the Elam house is no exception.