Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Tennessee House Hits the Market for $1.6 Million
A rare Frank Lloyd Wright home in Chattanooga is coming to market for the first time, with an asking price of $1.6 million. The Shavin House, the only Wright-designed property in Tennessee, was commissioned by Seamour and Gerte Shavin after they wrote the architect in 1948 seeking a recommendation. Four years later, they moved into a single-story Usonian house on Missionary Ridge, where the Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain frame the view.
The three-bedroom home sits on nearly one acre and reflects the principles Wright was refining from the late 1930s through the 1950s: affordable, democratic housing shaped by careful proportion and a close relationship to the landscape. The plan moves from narrow, wood-paneled passages into more open living areas, a classic expression of Wright’s idea of compression and release.
Even though Wright never visited the site, he specified materials with a strong sense of place. Crab orchard stone was laid in horizontal bands, echoing the face of a cliff, while Louisiana cypress wood brings warmth to the interior. Natural light enters through broad walls of glass and clerestory windows placed above eye level. Other hallmarks remain in place as well, including a hidden entranceway, built-in furniture, a covered carport, and a large stone fireplace that anchors the main living space.
The house has long been recognized as an important piece of regional architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 and became the only Chattanooga property designated a local historical landmark in 1995. The Shavins purchased the home in the early 1950s for $33,000, and it is now being sold by their daughter, Karen Shavin.
For collectors of architectural history, the listing offers something increasingly rare: a Wright house that combines provenance, preservation, and a landscape setting that still feels integral to the design.
