Frank Lloyd Wright often had an apprentice on site for the construction of his designs however Kentuck Knob is an exception with minimal involvement of apprentices on site. Only two apprentices were involved, one in the drawings the other in the construction both visiting the construction site for Kentuck Knob.
Allen "Davy" Davison was a senior apprentice to Wright and a Pittsburgh native, first meeting the Hagans during their initial visit to Taliesin. Davy was the one to make the decision to move the house ten feet west than initially planned in order to incorporate more privacy using the landscape between Kentuck Knob and the adjacent property. Davidson was also involved in the decision to quarry the stone onsite despite the Kaufmanns offering to provide stone from Fallingwater, Davy and the Wilsons (local stone masons) decided it would be too costly and it would be more effective to quarry the stone on the Hagans property. After meeting the Wilsons, he claimed the Wilsons were best stone masons he ever worked with and after Davy's second visit in 1955, a the construction was proceeded without an apprentice on site in contrast to other Wright buildings.
John (Jack) Howe, an Illinois native, became Wright's chief draftsman doing the initial drawings for Kentuck Knob. As Mr. and Mrs. Hagan requested to have the iconic red tile created for Wright's designs as a signature of sorts, it was brought and installed by several apprentices including Howe. His wife, Lu Sparks Howe, was also present while the tile was being installed and she remarked in a letter to the Hagans, "Your House is certainly one of Mr. Wright's most beautiful." Howe visited the house once more after it was completed delivering a jar of marmalade made at Taliesin as a housewarming gift to the Hagans.
Wright, the apprentices, the local contractor and construction team will forever be a part of the history of Kentuck Knob.
