Overview of Selects: The Taliesin Massacre
This episode of Stuff You Should Know examines the 1914 massacre at Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed Wisconsin estate and what many consider his masterpiece. The hosts frame the story as a dark chapter in Wright’s life, combining his architectural legacy with the scandalous affair that surrounded the tragedy and the brutal attack that left seven people dead.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin
- Taliesin was Wright’s home, studio, school, and personal architectural statement.
- Built in Wisconsin on land tied to his family history, it reflected his Prairie School philosophy:
- low horizontal lines
- natural materials
- integration with the landscape
- The house was deeply personal to Wright, almost an autobiography in built form.
- The episode notes details like its many windows, wide eaves, and lack of gutters, all part of Wright’s vision.
The Affair That Set the Stage
- Wright was involved in a long affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney while she was married to Edwin Cheney.
- In 1909, Wright abandoned his wife, Kitty, and their six children and fled to Europe with Mamah.
- The scandal damaged his reputation, especially in the Midwest, where he and Mamah were widely condemned.
- Wright later returned to Wisconsin and built Taliesin for himself and Mamah.
The Taliesin Massacre
What happened
- On August 15, 1914, while Wright was in Chicago, Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her two children were lunching at Taliesin.
- Wright’s employees were also gathered for lunch in the dining room.
- The handyman, Julian Carlton, had been acting erratically for weeks:
- aggressive behavior
- sleeping with an axe nearby
- talking about killing people
- likely about to be fired
The attack
- Carlton asked to retrieve gasoline, then returned with an axe.
- He killed Mamah and her children outside, then set the dining room on fire by pouring gasoline under the doors.
- As people tried to escape through windows, he attacked them with the axe.
- Of the nine people present, seven were killed.
Survivors
- Herbert Fritz escaped and reached help.
- David Lindblom also escaped, though he was badly burned and later died from his injuries.
- William Weston survived despite being struck.
Aftermath
- Carlton hid in the basement boiler room, then swallowed hydrochloric acid in an apparent suicide attempt.
- He survived the initial attempt but later died in jail, having effectively starved himself after the attack.
- The exact motive was never definitively established, though the hosts argue he was clearly mentally ill.
- Wright learned of the tragedy while working in Chicago and returned immediately to Taliesin.
Wright’s Life After Taliesin
- The massacre deeply affected Wright’s personal and professional life.
- He entered another unstable relationship with Miriam Noel, which was abusive and chaotic.
- Later, he married Olga Lazović Hinzenberg and had another child.
- Despite the turmoil, Wright’s later decades were highly productive, including major works like:
- Taliesin West
- Fallingwater
- The Guggenheim Museum
Key Takeaways
- Taliesin was both a masterpiece of American architecture and the site of a horrific crime.
- The massacre is inseparable from Wright’s personal scandals and complicated private life.
- Julian Carlton’s attack appears to have been driven by severe mental instability, not a clear-cut grievance alone.
- The episode emphasizes the contrast between Wright’s genius and his deeply flawed character.
Notable Themes
- genius vs. personal misconduct
- architecture as autobiography
- scandal and public reputation
- violence, mental illness, and historical tragedy