It's that time of year to celebrate our local community with Fayette County Friends & Neighbors Day at Kentuck Knob! Sunday, November 22nd 2026 is our biannual offering of FREE Guided House Tours for residents of Fayette County.
In 1954, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a house for Fayette County residents I.N. and Bernardine Hagan. They owned the Hagan Ice Cream Company, which was based in Uniontown. The Hagans supported and participated in many community organizations. Mr. and Mrs. Hagan were more than just local business owners in Uniontown. Bernardine sat on the women’s hospital board, and a founding member of the Uniontown Services League, the Green Gardeners, and Touchstone Center for Crafts. Their connections in the area became beneficial when finding resources and craftsmen to build their Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house.
Kentuck Knob was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the world’s most famous architects, but it was constructed by hardworking craftsmen from here in Fayette County.
Herman Keys, a contractor, had done work for the Hagan Dairy Company and significant buildings in Uniontown, the State Theatre and the Central School. When learning that it was a Wright design, Keys refused any involvement, claiming he was too old to start such a project. After a great deal of persuasion from the Hagans, he agreed to supervise construction. Herman Keys asked for enough blueprints to “choke a horse,” which ended up being just 6 drawings from Wright’s team at Taliesin. Keys specified that the mortar for the sandstone should be mixed with dark brown sand to match the color of the Allegheny sandstone. He requested assistance from the engineer at the Hagan Company, Amadee Balsey. A Uniontown electric company installed electric at Kentuck Knob with technicians Raymond Kelly and Jess MacDowell.
Eggers Lumber Company in Uniontown did the millwork under supervision of Clarence Coughenour; including the 800 feet of dentil molding under the roof and the trellis openings. The interior woodwork on the cabinetry was done by master carpenter, Oliver Frankhouser. He installed the cypress paneling, which included the piano hinges Wright specified. Mr. Frankhouser also built the parallelogram silverware drawer to fit special flatware.
Father and son duo, Jesse Wilson Sr. and Jess Wilson Jr. led their stone masonry team worked with Wright apprentice Allen Davison with the decision to quarry stone from the sandstone boulders on the Mitchell Woods property the Hagans owned. Davison told Wright that the Wilsons were the “best masons he ever worked with.” Every person who was involved in the creation of Kentuck Knob deserves recognition; we are grateful for all of the residents of Fayette County that helped create the beautiful piece of architecture we share with thousands of visitors each year.
Over the decades, local residents have played an active role in shaping the history of the house. Kentuck Knob, a National Historic Landmark, has enriched the local tourism industry and we want to share the beauty of the house and its grounds with our neighbors.📞 Call us at (724) 329-1901 to reserve. Reservations are required and are limited to 4 guests per group. Tours are approximately 45 minutes in length. Explore the Woodland Walk sculpture trail after your tour. The gift shop will be open for shopping and purchases.
