Vernon D. Swaback 1940-2026, Arizona Historymaker 2019

 Honored as 2019 Arizona Historymaker, the Historical League continues to tell the life story of Vern Swaback. He and his firm have been a profound presence in our State.

The Life Story of A Legendary Architect: Vernon Swaback | Historymakers Gala

https://youtu.be/Y3H5hKgT56g?si=IFWD2VjfDWBNPwAO

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our founder, Vernon D. Swaback, FAIA, FAICP, on July 5, 2026.

Vern Swaback founded this firm in 1978 with a conviction that great architecture begins with a deep respect for the land, the community, and the people a place is meant to serve. Over nearly five decades, he grew SWABACK from a one-man practice into a nationally recognized firm, while never losing sight of the philosophy that drove him from the beginning. A Fellow of both the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Certified Planners, a former Chairman and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, an author of 14 books, and one of the last direct apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright, Vern brought a rare depth of purpose to everything he touched.

To those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him, he was as much a teacher as he was a founder. His vision, his generosity, and his boundless curiosity shaped not only the places we design but the way we think about our responsibility to the world around us.

His architecture shaped places. His wisdom shaped people. He will be deeply missed.

Fabulous Membership Open House evening at Swaback home

Skyfire

Organizers Susan Dale and Pam den Draak

Vern remarks that Ruth McLeod's colors match the guest house in the background.

Despite the dark skies and wind, the Membership Open House on February 23 turned out to be fabulous. Thanks to Susan Dale and Pam den Draak for creating such a lovely event. With so many Frank Lloyd Wright influences, yet distinctly Vern Swaback's designs, this home has unique details, architecture, views and amenities. Vern and Cille Swaback are excellent hosts.

Note Pinnacle Peak in background

Susan Dale and Linda Corderman work on crockpots of Bison Chile and Corn Chowder. 

Recipe from The Palace Bar in Prescott

Davie Garrison and Bonnie Newhoff rearrange patio furniture for guests

Wind and cold did not stop Karen Overton, Pam den Draak, Nancy Knight and
Davie Garrison from setting up the tables and cloths. Those heaters were much appreciated!

Vern Swaback's "Skyfire" home to host Membership Open House Feb 23

At Home with Vernon D. Swaback: "A guiding principle in the design of my family's residence is that I wanted to feel somewhat exposed and vulnerable to the elements.
We named it "Skyfire' to be a celebration of the atmospheric effects of the desert."

New Member Open House at Historymaker Vern Swaback's home, Skyfire, Feb 23

You won’t want to miss the opportunity to attend the upcoming New Member Open House from 5 – 8 p.m. on Friday, February 23rd!
You are invited to bring a prospective new member for a tour of the beautiful home of renowned Frank Lloyd Wright-trained architect Vernon D. Swaback and his wife Cille. Vern will also be signing his new book, which will be available for purchase, and discussing the relevance of Frank Lloyd Wright in today’s world.
Delicious light fare will be served from recipes in the new Historical League cookbook! Thanks to Susan Dale with Pam den Draak for organizing this event.

 Helping with the event are Bonnie Newhoff and Leslie Christiansen. Also Cille Swaback
with her lovely home in the background

Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit "Footprints on the Desert"

Celebrating 150 years of Frank Lloyd Wright, the AZ Heritage Center opened a new exhibit on Thursday, October 12 with great fanfare, food and fun.

October 13, 2017 – March 31, 2018
AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park

The exhibit features notable Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings in Arizona. Wright’s architectural designs reveal painstaking attention to detail, with an intense dedication to sustainability and beauty. The exhibit includes images and artifacts from Wright’s Taliesin West, David Wright House and Harold C. Price House, as well as other Wright designs – including some that were never built. The exhibit will include supplemental information available digitally on mobile devices via the free Cuseum application. Footprints on the Desert: Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona was organized by the AZ Heritage Center in cooperation with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and in conjunction with the year of Wright’s 150th birthday.

Frank Lloyd Wright students are all over the world

While visiting the upper peninsula of Michigan, I found this at Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan.
The AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park in Tempe, AZ is celebrating 150 years of Frank Lloyd Wright with an exhibit opening Thursday, October 12. Save the Date!

Entrance on campus

Finlandia's first building in Hancock, Michigan

Rawling Family Donates Wright House to Architecture School

So glad the Historical League held the Spring Event April 2016 at this wonderful home. Rawling Family Donates Wright House to Architecture School

FRONTDOORS NEWS

The David & Gladys Wright House in Phoenix, festooned on Thursday for a big announcement. Photo by Mike Saucier

By Mike Saucier

It will go down as one of the greatest philanthropic acts in Phoenix history.
The Rawling family on Thursday donated the David & Gladys Wright House in the Arcadia section of Phoenix to the School of Architecture at Taliesin, which was founded by Frank Lloyd Wright.

David Rousseau, president of Salt River Project; Debra Stark, Phoenix city councilwoman; Zach Rawling, president of the David & Gladys Wright House Foundation; and Jim Lane, mayor of Scottsdale. Photo by Mike Saucier

The pledge of the iconic spiral home to the school represents the largest donation in the architectural institution’s 85 years. The announcement was made on the 150^th birthday of Frank Lloyd Wright.
The donation by the Rawling family establishes a relationship that will further the school’s mission of educating students to build a more sustainable, open world while fulfilling the potential of the David & Gladys Wright House to have a perpetual life as a world-class center for design.
To celebrate, the famous home was decorated with 20,000 balloons that took 25 people 15 hours to arrange.
“It’s the school that will fill this place with life and meaning and connect the house to its history as part of the Wright family and the work that the Taliesin fellowship did to work with David Wright to build the house,” Zach Rawling, president of the David & Gladys Wright House Foundation, told Frontdoors. “It connects one of the masterwork buildings to experimental design and innovation and everything that the students are working on to build an open, sustainable, beautiful future.”
“This is a connection between the Wright legacy of architecture and bringing to life those ideas that are very much vital and relevant and informed,” he said. “This one site tells the story of midcentury America and the promise and the appeal of the American Southwest.”
Rawling said he and his mother started the project to share the house with people. She had introduced him to the house in second grade, while on bicycle.
“It was my introduction to architecture and the start of a lifelong love of architecture,” Rawling said. “Her idea was to allow other children and families to have that same experience here and that’s exactly what the school of architecture intends to do. Graduate students will use it for their own education and they will be involved in welcoming the public to participate in this legacy of the historic Wright building and also be part of a community discussion about the future of life in the Southwest.”
In 1950, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a home for his son David and daughter-in-law Gladys on 10 acres in the middle of citrus groves at the base of Camelback Mountain. The design elevated the home in the form of a spiral rising from the desert floor, converting the treetops into the lawn and revealing 360° views of the mountains forming the valley. Wright titled the plans “How to Live in the Southwest.”
Completed in 1952, the residence remained a family home until 2008. After sitting vacant, the home was threatened with demolition by local developers in 2012 before the community stepped in to save what the City of Phoenix’s preservation office recognizes as the greatest building in Phoenix by the greatest architect in American history.

More Photos from Evening Under the Stars at the David Wright House April 9

Jill Hicks with David Wright's granddaughter

Larry and Margaret Baker, Barry and Margo Johns

Dan and Katherine Thornhill

Phil and Ruth Ann Hogan

Elaine Kapach, Alec McDonald, Cindy Nahrgang

Patti Goss

Heading for registration area

Architect Barry Johns

Silent Auction items were popular at David Wright House Evening Under the Stars

We are grateful for the wonderful donations to the Silent Auction April 9 to raise more funds for National History Day www.NHDAZ.org. Thanks to all those generous donors and those who acquired them. Thanks also to Nina Filippi who organized the silent auction items, presented them in a most attractive packaging, determined pricing and bidding, then created a spread sheet of all the items, bidders, donors, solicitors and winning bids.

Silent Auction Items for David Wright House Event, April 9, 2016
“Dinner and Wine Pairing for Ten ” Imagine the opportunity to enjoy dinner at the AZ Heritage Center, with State Historian and Historymaker Marshall Trimble and Museum Director Tawn Downs, you and 7 of your closest friends? The dinner will be professionally and superbly catered by our own Dancing Chef with parings by Doz Cabazas Winery, Sonoita.
“Delightful Journey”; a 1940 signed Barry Goldwater book and video. It is filled with personal photos and his journal entries.



“Phil Mickelson 2010 Masters” greens flag. Handsomely framed and personally signed, accompanied by his signed book and video. Golf for 4 at the AZ Biltmore.

 





“Splash Copper” or Copper Splash; is an art piece from the AHS museum gift shop. It’s man-made art, with natural ingredients. The pieces are created by pouring molten copper at 2200 degrees F onto a flat surface, then cooling it by water. The pieces are then hand-buffed to give them a brilliant shine.
“Rock my World” a unique Necklace from the AHS museum gift shop.
Necklace is sterling silver with amethyst (purple quartz) and drusy quartz (rainbow) gemstones. Drusy quartz forms when tiny quartz crystals grow over a stone or another mineral, usually agates. The crystals are coated in titanium to give them a rainbow effect.
“Wine and Dine” A variety of Restaurant gift cards and select bottles of wine. Restaurants include Sierra Bonita Grill, L'Amore, Alexis, Timos/Spoke and Wheel, First Watch.
 “Made in Arizona” basket filled with books by Arizona authors: Terri Fields, Marshall Trimble, Roger Naylor, Jan Cleere, Lisa Schnebly-Heidinger, Pam Stevenson, Kyle McKoy, Historical League.  Goldwater salsa, a bottle of Dos Cabezas wine and 2 etched wine glasses, along with our own customized Soleri bell.
A “Sustaining Historical League Membership.” Become a Lifetime member, dues paid for your lifetime.
“Cherished Family Recipes” is a chapter in our new Tastes & Treasures II cookbook. You will have Premier placement, 2 full pages. It includes dedication and photo of the honoree, and professionally styled color photo and story of recipe. Includes name listed on Acknowledgement page at front of the book. Includes framed copy.

“Frank Lloyd Wright Lights the Way,” We have an extraordinary piece of architecture and function, a black edition of Wright’s Taliesin 3 Table Lamp 29” tall currently available for purchase only in Japan. Donated by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the indoor table lamp uses incandescent candelabra bulbs. The light can be directed upward or downward as featured on the original light fixture, using the movable diffusers. It’s made from beech wood with a black stain finish.
“Cookbook Basket”; containing Barbara Fenzl signed cookbook, 4 Junior League, Western Horseman, Tastes & Treasures, Arizona Cooking Heritage, 2 sets of Old Ned aprons and more.
“Clouds and Ravine”, 17” X 28” framed print by renowned artist and Historymaker Ed Mell.

Enjoying Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at the David Wright House

Barry Johns, Karen Swanson, Bev Collins

Chandler student Arysat Nejat, teacher Stacey Trepanier

The David Wright House was a beautiful venue for the Historical League fundraising event April 9. National History Day students, teachers and administrators were there to visit with a sold out crowd. Thanks to the appreciative attendees that took excellent photos, we can share and remember the evening.

Guest speaker architect Barry Johns

Courtyard with silent auction, social hour

Dinner tables of ten

Rooftop view of dining on the lawn

Linda and Dennis Corderman
with 10 yr old docent

Judy Lewis, Cindy Tidwell-Shelton