I bought this for my father for Christmas back in 2009 or 2010. Frank Lloyd Wright was his favorite architect and Fallingwater was his favorite building. He passed away suddenly in 2013 and, as anyone who has suddenly lost a parent knows, I've been processing the loss and reexamining my relationship with him ever since. Heck, I even got a tattoo of Fallingwater on my arm as a memorial piece for him. His widow returned the set to me a few years ago and there it sat, unopened.
For some strange reason, I couldn't bring myself to crack it open. When you lose a loved one, the gifts they gave you and the items passed down to you have this increased importance. Like, "I can't throw away this birthday card he gave me because he'll never give me another one" or "this fishing knife of his means the world to me- even though I don't fish." I'm sure many of you can relate. Other than memories, objects are all you have left.
Anyway, I've been slowly working my way through my LEGO backlog, trying to assemble my older sets before I spend more money on new ones (also something many of you can probably relate to). I got to this one and while the box was smushed to all heck, the bags were still sealed and the instructions were mint. I don't know why he never assembled it. Maybe it's because he used to be a carpenter and had stubby fingers? Maybe he was saving it for when he retired? Maybe he just had zero interest? Kids- ask your loved ones these questions while you can because one day you won't be able to.
I really enjoy builds like this- many little pieces that resemble a small, accurate version of a building that I know (like Hogwarts Castle and Grounds 76419). I'm sure there's an accepted term for this type of set in the LEGO community, but I don't know what it is. Tiny piece by tiny piece, you get to see it come together. I guess that's one of the main reasons we all love this hobby.
It was a very lovely build and a rather therapeutic one. I don't imagine I'll ever take it apart. One day I'll make it to Mill Run, Pennsylvania to see the real thing. Until then, I've got this little guy. If you're still here, thanks for reading. I just wanted to share this with people who'd appreciate it. Cheers.
