Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
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The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) has been entrusted with preserving Fallingwater, the masterpiece home built by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Mill Run, Pa. The WPC protects, conserves and restores land and water for the diversity of the region's plants, animals and their ecosystems. Through science-based strategies, collaboration, leadership and recognition of the relationship between humankind and nature, WPC achieves tangible conservation outcomes for present and future generations.
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Western Pennsylvania Conservancy conserves land of ecological, scenic, and recreational significance. Since 1932, we have protected 216,000 acres. Most of that land is now publicly owned and makes up some of our state's premier parks, forests, gamelands, and natural areas--enjoyed by millions of residents and tourists. WPC's vision of land conservation has had a profound impact on the communities and landscapes of western PA. Our work enables protection of important natural resources and creates economic benefits--from tourism in the Laurel Highlands, recreation in the Clarion River and Loyalhanna Gorge, to forestry in the Allegheny National Forest and Forbes State Forest in Westmoreland County.
WPC plants more than 150 community gardens each spring in 20 western Pennsylvania counties.
Restoration projects included Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece).
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WPC acquired land for the creation of these state parks:
- Ohiopyle State Park including Ferncliff Peninsula National Natural Landmark
- Laurel Ridge State Park
- Oil Creek State Park
- McConnell's Mill State Park
- Moraine State Park
- Erie Bluffs State Park
WPC's Community Garden Program and its more than 5,000 volunteers planted a quarter of a million flowers this past spring.
for more information about our Community garden program, visit Western Pennsylvania Community Garden website
A primary goal of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s preservation efforts at Fallingwater is to maintain Frank Lloyd Wright’s designed relationship of the house with the surrounding natural landscape. The most defining features of this relationship are the cantilevers and the pristine, smooth concrete finishes indicative of the Modernist Style. The results of Wright’s innovative use of technology, however, can sometimes make traditional repair methods at Fallingwater difficult. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy makes every effort to maintain the structural integrity of the cantilevers and their relationship to the site as well as retain the smooth appearance of the concrete surfaces. In addition, the WPC makes every effort to make all conservation of the building as noninvasive as possible. No effort shall be made to revise or improve upon the original design for aesthetic purposes. However, changes to original building systems can be made if such changes contribute significantly to the long-term preservation of the building. Fallingwater
