The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has announced the appointment of Justin W. Gunther as the new director of Fallingwater and vice president of the Conservancy. Following a nationwide search, Gunther will succeed Lynda Waggoner, who will retire from the position this spring after more than 40 years at Fallingwater.
Gunther served as Fallingwater's curator of buildings and collections from 2007 to 2011 and has nearly 20 years of experience in historic preservation.
Most recently, Gunther has been architectural historian at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., where he was curator of the architectural, historical, archeological and landscape features of Virginia's Capitol Square, and managed the revamping of the site's visitor experience.
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, in a release. “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 leadership for Fallingwater's preservation and other programs, including visitor experience, educational programming, community partnerships and supporting the house's nomination in the United States' submission to the United Nations' World Heritage List of significant cultural landmarks.
Designed in 1935 by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater was the weekend home for the family of Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. One of Wright's most widely acclaimed works, the house has been open to the public since 1964 and has welcomed more than 5 million visitors.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shirley_trib.
