Mill Run, Pa. – March 14, 2018 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced today the appointment of Justin W. Gunther as the new director of Fallingwater and vice president of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy later this spring. Gunther will succeed Lynda Waggoner, who recently announced her retirement from the position after more than 40 years at Fallingwater.
Gunther was selected after a nationwide search. Previously serving as Fallingwater’s curator of buildings and collections from 2007 to 2011, Gunther is returning to Pennsylvania with nearly 20 years of experience deeply rooted in historic preservation.
Most recently, Gunther served as the architectural historian at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va. where he was the curator of the architectural, historical, archeological and landscape features of Virginia’s Capitol Square, as well as managed the revamping of the visitor experience of the site. Gunther also served as a professor and program administrator at Savannah College of Art and Design and manager of restoration at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
“Justin will be an excellent leader of Fallingwater and we look forward to his joining the management team at the Conservancy,” said Thomas Saunders, president and CEO of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. “He brings immense expertise in historic preservation and museum management. He will be a great asset to Fallingwater.”
In his new role, Gunther will provide sustaining leadership to Fallingwater, both in its preservation and its varying programs, including supporting the visitor experience, educational programming and community partnerships. He will also continue to lead Fallingwater’s presence on the international stage, such as the house’s nomination in the United States’ submission to the United Nations’ World Heritage List of significant cultural landmarks.
Fallingwater is a house designed in 1935 by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was a private residence and weekend home for the family of Pittsburgh department store owner, Edgar J. Kaufmann, Sr. Fallingwater is one of Wright’s most widely acclaimed works and best exemplifies his philosophy of organic architecture: the harmonious union of art and nature. Open to the public since 1964, more than five million visitors have toured and experienced Fallingwater.
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Photos have been made available courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: https://we.tl/Corj9LwhGN
About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped to establish 10 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Conservancy owns and operates Fallingwater, which symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 132 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of about 12,000 volunteers. The work of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.
Media contact:
Kristen Blevins
Communications Specialist
412-586-2328 (office)
kblevins@paconserve.org
