The Edith Farnsworth House, designed by modernist architecture master Mies Van der Rohe, has existed through three separate phases – three lives, if you will, since its completion in 1951. Its first life reflects its namesake – Edith Farnsworth. Its second life is that of the residence of Lord Peter Palumbo, who put his own distinctive marks on the house and its surrounding landscape. Its present manifestation as the property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Landmarks Illinois, which purchased the house in May 2004, and opened it to the public, resonates with its status as an architectural icon.
