n January 1908, the Board of
Directors of the City National Bank in Mason City, Iowa, announced
plans to further develop the downtown. The Bank would build a
new building and hotel in the city center. 
One of the City National Bank's board members , J.
E. E. Markley suggested Frank Lloyd Wright be commissioned. Markley
was impressed with Wright's work and thought the young architect
would design a structure of exceptional quality. The City National
Bank's main competition, the First National Bank, had already
built the city's largest building; Markley felt his bank would
compete in quality not quantity.
hile Wright was
designing the City National Bank, he heard of plans about future
developments in Mason City. James Blythe and developer Joshua
Melson hoped to work with Wright on these projects.
ut in September
1909, the Mason City plans came to a sudden stop when news of
Wright's scandalous departure reached the city. Blythe and Melson
were left without an architect to complete their grand development.
wo years later,
Joshua Melson contacted Marion Mahony Griffin to see if she would
be interested in picking up the pieces. Marion in turned recommended
her husband. Within a week Walter visited Mason City, and at
the end of the visit a contract was signed giving him complete
approval over the development of the property. He talked the
developers into building on a site they had previously overlooked
because it had been turned into a garbage dump. Griffin envisioned
that an 18 acre parcel along Willow Creek would be a beautiful
natural setting for a group of houses.
he development would
be called Rock Crest, Rock Glen. Griffin's vision was to create
a development that would conserve the natural area. 
He sited all the houses along the perimeter to create
the greatest amount of open land along the creek. True to his
philosophies on democracy, he insisted the land along the creek
was a "commons area" to be enjoyed by all the homeowners.
Griffin planned all the houses to face the glen and forbade any
out-buildings to be built within the commons area. Griffin's
plans for each home incorporated this natural backdrop. Today
Rock Crest Rock Glen remains the largest collection of Prairie
Style homes surrounding a natural setting.
he first house built
on the Rock Glen side was for Harry Page. 
Using Japanese influences, Griffin fit the building
exactly to its site by extending it three floors on the creek
side but only two on the street side.
long the State Street
bridge, he proposed three houses be built in proportion to the
sloping site. Each highlighted his interest in cubic forms, and
the middle contained a roof garden. A site was also chosen on
the lower creek side for the residence of investor James Blythe.
he James Blythe
House was built next to the Page House. It is the most spacious
of Griffin's houses in Mason City with a 33-foot living room
allowing beautiful views of the glen and creek. 
Built of hollow tile and reinforced concrete, the
exterior of the house is a symmetrical arrangement of blocks.
But inside Griffin used the same elements as in most of his Prairie
style homes, a flowing floor plan and a floating ceiling. The
most striking feature inside is the fireplace. Designed by Marion,
it is without a mantle and is decorated with interwoven Italian
tile.
n a site opposite
of Blythe's, Joshua Melson finally realized his dream of a house
along the creek. Wright previous design for Melson was for a
beautiful linear home that allowed a good view of the creek.
But
Griffin created a home that provided more than good views. Griffin's
design envisioned a home that was a physical extension of its
surroundings. Melson and Marion Mahony became such good friends
that she nicknamed him "Don Melancholio" or old sad
face. But Marion said that the house was such a success it wiped
away the melancholy from Joshua Melson.
he Castle, as it
was so dubbed, caused quite a stir among the residents of Mason
City. Melson even joked that Griffin would have to pay his electric
bill since he felt the need to keep the construction site illuminated
all night long to entertain on lookers on the State Street Bridge.
Marion claimed that Griffin himself was so overjoyed with the
finished product he scaled the cliff side of the house in celebration.
A task that certainly would have been quite an accomplishment
for the 37 year old architect.
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