Shavin House in Chattanooga Lists for $1.6M After 75 Years in the Same Family

Tennessee ka ek aisa ghar jo 75 saal mein pehli baar bikne aaya hai, aur yeh koi ordinary listing nahi hai.

The Shavin House in Chattanooga just hit the market at $1.6 million. It is the only home Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed in the entire state of Tennessee. And until now, it had never been listed for sale. Not once.

How It All Started With a Letter

In 1948, newlyweds Seamour and Gerte Shavin wrote a letter to Frank Lloyd Wright. They weren’t asking him to design their home. They just wanted a recommendation, someone inspired by his work who could build them something beautiful.

Wright wrote back: “The best one I know is myself.”

They weren’t expecting that. Seamour was a building materials salesman. Gerte was just someone who wanted a home full of light. They were, in Karen Shavin’s own words, “just ordinary people who wanted to build a beautiful house to raise a family in.”

Plans came in 1951. Construction wrapped up in 1952. The family paid $33,000 total, which covered Wright’s fee, the build, and every single piece of furniture he designed for the house.

What the House Actually Looks Like

The Shavin House sits on top of Missionary Ridge, a Civil War battle site, with open views of the Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain.

It’s 1,784 square feet. Three bedrooms, two full baths, two half baths. But none of that tells the real story.

The home is built from native Tennessee Crab Orchard stone and Louisiana cypress wood. The stonework is laid horizontally with edges that jut out slightly, the same technique Wright used at Fallingwater.

Clerestory windows with custom-cut wood screens (unique to this house) pull natural light into every corner. Inside, the floors are Cherokee red concrete, a Wright Usonian signature.

There’s a hidden entrance, a cantilevered carport, built-in furniture Wright designed himself, and a large stone fireplace anchoring the living room.

Wright also used his signature “compression and release” technique here. You walk in through a low, tight entry and then the space suddenly opens up into dramatic heights. It’s intentional, and it still catches people off guard today.

Outside, native gardens, a custom pond, and a reflecting pool surround the home. A spacious terrace overlooks the hillside and connects directly to the indoor dining area, exactly the kind of inside-outside flow Wright was known for.

Wright never visited the site. His apprentice, Marvin Bachman, supervised the build and died in a car crash in 1951 before the home was complete.

For the full listing details, check out the coverage on Realtor.com.

The Story Behind the Sale

Gerte Shavin lived there part-time until she passed away in 2020. The house is now co-owned by her three children.

Karen Shavin, who was born in 1949, the same year the house was commissioned, told reporters she would have kept it if she could. But she couldn’t afford to buy out her brothers’ shares.

She described the house as “full of light” and a place that feels like sitting among the clouds. Her mother used to say you can’t truly appreciate it unless you’ve spent time there.

It’s the kind of story that doesn’t stay in your head. It stays in your chest. Similar emotional weight came through when LeBron James listed his $37M California mansion after relocating. Homes tied to chapters of someone’s life carry a different kind of energy entirely.

If you follow stories like this, there’s a WhatsApp channel where updates on iconic home listings and real estate moves get shared as they break. Worth having on your radar.

Why This Matters

The Shavin House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Two years later, it became the only property in Chattanooga to be designated a local historical landmark.

Chattanooga’s six-month median sale price is around $360,000. This home is listed at $1.6 million, more than four times that.

And yet it might still be a fair price. Fewer than 100 Usonian homes were ever built. This is the only one in Tennessee.

According to Forbes, while the FLW resale market has cooled since the pandemic, the most architecturally significant homes in strong locations are still commanding serious offers.

The Hills-DeCaro House in Oak Park sold this year for $2.3 million. The Winslow House sold for $2.2 million.

The Shavin House, pristine, original, and never-listed, fits that tier.

Worth noting: when Dennis Quaid listed his $5.2M LA home citing California’s decline, it sparked a broader conversation about what people actually value in a home beyond location.

And when Kylie Jenner’s Holmby Hills property sat unsold through multiple price cuts, it proved that even premium listings need the right buyer, not just the right price. The Shavin House will be no different.

Quick Takeaways

• Tennessee’s only Frank Lloyd Wright home, listed for the first time in 75+ years
• 1,784 sq ft | 3 bed | $1.6M | Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga
• Original furnishings, Crab Orchard stone, Louisiana cypress, nearly untouched
• National Historic Landmark since 1993
• The next buyer isn’t just buying a home. They’re becoming its steward.

Whoever buys this won’t just own a house. They’ll own a responsibility.

Would you live in a historic home like the Shavin House, or does the preservation pressure feel like too much? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. We read every one.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Build Like New does not represent or endorse any real estate listing. Consult a licensed real estate professional for purchase decisions.