The John and Catherine Christian House, SAMARA.

In the early 1950s, Purdue University professor Dr. John Christian and his wife Catherine dreamed of a home that would serve both their desire to entertain faculty, staff, and students and be a lasting structure that would grow with their family. Research, perseverance, and a touch of luck led the Christians to Frank Lloyd Wright with whom they built their dream home.

The John and Catherine Christian House, commonly known as SAMARA, is one of the most complete Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the United States. Nestled in one of Indiana’s most historically significant cities, the 2,200 square-foot SAMARA was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2015. The home affords national and international visitors of all ages the rare and immersive opportunity to experience Mr. Wright’s fully realized Usonian design just as if they were guests of the family.

SAMARA, named for the winged seeds found in pinecones, was completed in 1956 near the end of Mr. Wright’s career. The home was built on a modest budget and with the caveat that the clients would see the famous architect’s designs through to full completion.

John and Catherine held true to this commitment and the architect’s vision. Today, SAMARA is an approachable and educational work of art that proudly features more than 40 of Mr. Wright’s architectural innovations and plays host to thousands of visitors annually.

We are currently in the process of building a new website for SAMARA, which will be available soon. In the meantime, thank you for visiting. If you’d like to be notified when the full site is complete, please email us.