martinhouseclr

158 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT Tour,” with the latter being of the main house, pergola, conservatory and garage only and the former adding the Barton House, Gardener’s Cottage and the second floor of the main house. Approximately 30,000 visitors per year tour the house, with that number expected to rise toward an ultimate capacity of 60,000 to 80,000. Several specialty tours are currently offered throughout the year, including the participation in a multi-site all-Frank Lloyd Wright tour through the architect’s work in the region. Additional specialty tours at the Martin House include a restoration tour and a twilight tour. The MHRC also accommodates private tours, group tours, and school tours under special arrangement. All tours begin at an adjacent site directly west of the historic properties, which is owned by the MHRC and operated as a visitor and interpretive center. The visitor center, formally called the Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion, was opened in 2009 and designed by architect Toshiko Mori. The 7,800 square foot visitor center provides support spaces for programming and operations, including media presentations, exhibition space, and permanent galleries of related historic Martin collections. The site also includes a museum store,which sells products and publications related to the Martin House, Wright, architecture and design. The museum store is located in the first floor of the reconstructed garage building and uses the basement level for excess inventory. The historic site also can accommodate rental or use for private events, from receptions to other gatherings. However, these are generally limited in size and restricted to buildings more suitable and appropriate for the use, such as the 2009 visitor center. Typically only the visitor center, the Barton House and the Gardener’s Cottage are available for outside rental use. Existing landscape-specific interpretive programming currently includes partnerships with local schools for horticulture classes. Additionally, periodic workshops on landscape-related topics are held throughout the year, focusing on topics such as herbs, flower and holiday arrangements. Operations and Administration The house is operated by the Martin House Restoration Corporation, a non-profit corporation that was originally developed to take on the organizational challenges of preserving and restoring the collection of historic buildings. The MHRC now operates and maintains the house- museum, develops and provides interpretive programming, administers capital campaigns and support services, and oversees contracts involving restoration activities. The MHRC includes an approximately 30-member Board of Directors and is served by 10 full time and multiple part-time professional staff. The administrative offices are located in an adjacent building, having been converted from a Victorian-era residence just west of the historic core properties (143 Jewett Parkway). There are also approximately 400 active volunteers who assist with multiple aspects of tour, retail, educational, landscape, and other activities on and off-site. Aside from day-to-day operation and the management of restoration efforts, the MHRC provides a diversity of educational programming, including classes and events on a variety of related topics, docent and junior docent training, and outreach to public and private schools. Two separate week-long camps are part of the educational programming, including an “Aspiring Architects” camp and a “Design Done Wright” camp. Students can also take focused classes on engineering and art glass. The instructional programming is supplemented by the opportunity for Scout programs to utilize the facilities for their own programming – architectural-related merit badges. The MHRC also holds themed lectures or symposiums on an intermittent basis and curatorial staff contributes to an online blog featuring ongoing restoration matters, selected research work, and associations and events related to the Martin House or Frank Lloyd Wright. Accessibility and Access As the current primary function of the site is providing interpretive tours of the house and grounds, a brief inventory of universal accessibility (ADA/handicap) has been reviewed