John deKoven Hill

John deKoven Hill (1920-1996) was an American architect, honorary chairman of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation^[1] and editorial director of House Beautiful magazine.

Hill decided to become an architect early on in his life, but not until he visited Taliesin did he become passionate about the design style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Hill skipped his high school graduation ceremony to enroll in the Taliesin Fellowship program^[2] on June 17, 1938. Because Hill was so young even among the apprentices, Wright often introduced him not by his name but by "This is Johnny. His father left him on my doorstep in a basket."^[3] With only a high school education, Hill started very green as an apprentice but went on to become Wright's chief architect and right-hand man. Hill had a keen sense of balance and an eye for design, and took responsibility for the designs and furnishings of all the interiors of the buildings Wright designed.

Hill and Wright designed a number of buildings together where Hill acted as chief architect.^[4] Notably, Hill was the chief architect and designer for the echt-Wrightian J. Ralph and Patricia Corbett House on 2501 Grandin Road in Cincinnati, Ohio. The house was designated the House Beautiful Magazine's 1960 Pace Setter and is considered the culmination of Wright and Hill's collaborative designs. Many features first seen in Fallingwater and Taliesin were incorporated into the house. According to the Cincinnati MLS, this property was listed for sale on December 16, 2009 for $1,995,000. It went pending in 3 days and posted as closed in MLS on February 5, 2010 for $1,800,000. The house was sold to Michiel Schuitemaker. It was the first time the home had been offered for sale since it was built. At the time of sale, the home was in need of extensive repairs and improvements. The basic structure is built of concrete and steel. Much of the original structure was wood and years of neglect had deteriorated the wood substantially. Schuitemaker replaced the structural wood with steel beams. All wood inside the house was replaced in this manner as well as the major roof beams. In addition to the wood, a new geo-thermal system was installed using 7 wells to allow for seven individual zones in the house, including one specific for the heating of the indoor swimming pool. All the glass in the house was replaced as well with custom glass and frames to keep the original feel of the house. When the house was constructed in 1960, all outlets and light switches in the house were connected to a solenoid panel in the basement. By rewiring jumper cables between solenoids, and switch could control any light and outlet in the house. Schuitemaker replaced this complete system with a state of the art computer controlled system that is completely programmable. Sensors in the house regulate heating and cooling per zone depending on occupancy. Sadly enough, by the time the renovation was finished, Schuitemaker was going through a divorce and never lived in the house. His (ex) wife enjoyed it with their three children Maximilian, Augustine and Bastiaan.

From 1953 to 1963 Hill served as the architecture editor for House Beautiful magazine and in 1964 became its editorial director. In this function, Hill helped promote the cause of Modern architecture and particularly Wright's "Organic" approach. He went on to become treasurer of the Taliesin Fellowship and honorary chairman of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Hill died June 25, 1996 in Madison, Wisconsin.^[5] He had worked with the Wright Fellowship until his death.

References

External links

• Looking for the Last Dive
• House Beautiful's 1960 Pace Setter
• Hill, John ("Johnnie") deKoven
• Taliesin", Taliesin Preservation Inc.