505 Spring Street was built by retired doctor Edna Dieley in the 1950s to nestle into the hillside.The house was influenced by architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s efforts to build affordable houses for Americans. Wright dubbed the style Usonian, an abbreviation for United States of North America. The style was an outgrowth of his earlier Prairie style homes, designed to fit into the landscape. Shared features included low roofs and open living areas, the use of brick, wood and other natural materials and clerestory windows, which are a row of small windows high up on a wall.

 

The house stood empty for a number of years after Dieley left, and it slowly began to decay and slide down the hill. In 2004, Elise and Marty Roenigk purchased the property and donated it to The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow for expansion and future sustainability. From 2006 to 2012, a succession of fundraising efforts, grants and stop-and-start repairs and restoration restored the house to its 1950s glory.

 

Now it consists of five suites, each with a bedroom, writing room and private bath. There is also a fully equipped kitchen, a breakfast nook, a conference room and two communal decks.