2025 marks 90 years since Walter J. Hall began work on the first phase of what would become Lynn Hall, a dream he and his wife Beda shared. Together, they envisioned a “country inn” where they would raise their family and run a roadside restaurant. The timing for such an undertaking was propitious. The Allegheny had recently been designated a National Forest — the only one in Pennsylvania — and ecotourists, campers and hikers alike couldn’t wait to visit. And Lynn Hall would be right on the way.

Sadly Beda passed away just as they were breaking ground. But Walter was determined to bring their grand vision to fruition. It is doubtful he could foresee that 90 years later Lynn Hall would be recognized as an important piece of American architecture. Nor could he imagine his dream would result in the job of a lifetime working with one of the 20th Century’s greatest architects — Frank Lloyd Wright.

It is unclear how Walter — a boy from a rural area with no formal training — could achieve such a feat. What we do know is that as early as 1904, he was known locally as a builder of the modern style. So, what led him to experiment with the early use of cantilevered concrete floor and roof-lines, tapestry stone work, Japanese-influenced aesthetics that were only just being considered, or his use of re-purposed and found materials that led to Modernism’s ultimate organic appeal? It’s obvious he was a genius with an inquiring mind. We also like to think it was his commitment to his beloved Beda to create a stately home and welcoming inn, that would stand — and celebrate — the test of time.

Our story would not be complete without mentioning Walter’s son, Raymond Viner Hall, who played an integral role in the evolution of Lynn Hall — particularly with the Usonian Cottage. During eight years of renovations and as the interest in Lynn Hall gained momentum, there has been a renewed interest in RVH’s architecture. Not just for its applied regionalism but also for its early use of technologies in homes and schools. Across the northeast many homeowners have reached out to us with passionate intent to restore and preserve their Hall home. Ray’s work now resides at Cornell University.

Lynn Hall has undergone many incarnations before coming full circle and being recognized as an inn — in the modern sense. That’s why we are celebrating this year by offering specials to those who would like to experience Walter’s remarkable talent and the warm Swedish hospitality Beda was known for.

A marriage between nature and the man-made

Lynn hall seemingly emerges from the hillside

Lynn Hall and the hillside cottage are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as early examples of Organic Modern architecture.

***The Usonian cottage built in 1939.***

Carved out of the mountainside, Lynn Hall overlooks the Allegheny River valley, which considering the tools available in the ’30s presented quite a challenge. Ever the re-purposer, Hall used stone quarried from the property, leftover lumber from barns and recycled railroad tracks to construct the ultimate organic structure.

***The great hall that formerly served as a road side resturant.***

Walter’s skillful use of horizontal lines, varied ceiling heights, narrow and widening steps and hallways … water features inside and out … cantilever cabinetry … radiant in-floor and in-wall heating … fireplaces that recirculate heat … cisterns fed by natural springs that use gravity to supply water … dozens of signature touches such as mahogany panels with red inlays help create a balance between man and nature.

The first phase was completed in 1935. It was at this time that Walter’s innovative use of poured concrete and mosaic stonework was discovered by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright would ask Walter to join the Fallingwater project as general manager and stone mason after the original two contractors walked off the job due to the difficulty of the design.

***Walter and Ray with their Port Allegany crew at Fallingwater circa 1936.***

Walter, along with a small team of local builders would spend the next two years working on and off on Fallingwater before committing to the completion of his own masterpiece.

Lynn Hall also served as the offices for Walter’s son, Raymond Viner Hall. Raymond would fulfill his father’s dream by developing his own style of organic architecture. In 1952, upon Walter’s death, he closed the restaurant and adapted the entire building into a studio where he apprenticed dozens of aspiring architects in the modernist style. Raymond’s work can be found locally and regionally and is commonly referred to as Allegheny Modernism.