DERBY, N.Y. - Graycliff Estate on the shores of Lake Erie blurs the distinction between indoors and out, natural and man-made.
In 1926, Frank Lloyd Wright designed Graycliff as a summer home for Isabelle Martin -- wife of wealthy Buffalo industrialist Darwin Martin.
The couple's main home, part of the Martin House Complex in Buffalo's Parkside neighborhood, was also a Wright design.
Graycliff was open and airy but didn't have a lot of direct sunlight. This was easier on Isabelle Martin's eyes; today she would be considered legally blind.
Graycliff -- which is named for the rocky landscape on which is was built -- was constructed of local materials, many of which were found on the beach. The stones used both inside and out were hauled up from the beach by a team of oxen.
In the 1940s the Darwin children sold Graycliff to an order of Roman Catholic Priests who adapted the estate for their own use. They added a number of buildings which have since been torn down.
Fifty years later, in 1997, Graycliff was put on the market -- and this architectural gem was almost lost forever. A developer wanted to buy the estate, tear everything down, and build lakefront condos on the site.
A local woman who wanted to buy the estate for herself decided it was too much upkeep for a personal residence, but she didn't want to see it demolished -- so she started a grassroots effort to save the Graycliff estate.
To watch Heather Ly's full story, click on the video link at the top of the page.