Between NYC And Albany Is A Private Island With Renowned Architect Designed Homes That Can Be Toured

While New York City brims with plenty of museums and unique buildings, architecture fans should head about 55 miles north to a unique private island. Nestled in the Hudson Valley, Lake Mahopac has long been a summertime retreat. In the lake lies Petra Island, an 11-acre island that boasts two homes designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The architectural history of Petra Island dates to the 1940s when owner Ahmed Chahroudi hired Wright, the renowned American architect known for his Prairie Style, which emphasized buildings rooted in their natural surroundings. Wright drew up plans for a large home and a smaller guest cottage on Petra Island, but only the latter was completed at the time, in 1953. Nearly four decades later, Joe Massaro, who owned a sheet metal business, purchased Petra Island and acquired Wright's original plans for the never-built main house. Massaro hired Thomas Heinz, an expert in Wright's work, to implement the original plans. In 2006, the 5,000-square-foot residence was finished and named the Massaro House. Massaro and his family opened the island for public tours of both the Chahroudi Cottage and the Massaro House in 2023. Visitors can now explore two of Frank Lloyd Wright's designs: one completed during his lifetime and the other brought to life nearly 50 years after his death.

Boats shuttle guests to the island for tours, which are held twice daily on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays from June through October. The 90-minute tours cost $150 per person. The Petra Island boat launch, in the hamlet of Mahopac, is about an hour-and-a-half drive from New York City and a two-hour drive from Albany.

While most design aficionados know of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, considered the "best all-time work of American architecture," Petra Island remains an under-the-radar gem. In fact, it has welcomed fewer than 2,500 people since opening for public tours. After a short boat ride across Lake Mahopac, you'll be greeted by members of the Massaro family, who lead the 1.5-hour tour. You'll begin in the Chahroudi Cottage, a three-bedroom abode that reflects Wright's signature style through its open floor plan and use of natural materials, including wood and stone. The series of floor-to-ceiling glass doors opens onto the island's landscape, reinforcing Wright's belief in the synthesis of architecture and nature.

Next, you'll head to the Massaro House, commissioned by Joe Massaro and built from Wright's original sketches. Although it required a complex construction process, the four-bedroom estate closely follows Wright's original plans while incorporating modern features for 21st-century living. The house is anchored by the island's natural rocks, as envisioned in Wright's sketches, and even features furniture designed by Wright. To maximize panoramic views of Lake Mahopac, the central living room is lined by windows and surrounded by a wraparound veranda that extends over the water.

Tour groups are limited to 13 people, allowing visitors to experience Wright's architecture up close without the crowds. In fact, the Massaro family wants guests to experience both houses as they would a private residence. "It is a great experience and well-run tour," raved a reviewer on Google. "This is the only architectural tour where I've been invited to sit on Wright's furniture; that alone was worth the price of admission."

After the guided portion of the tour concludes, visitors can explore Petra Island at their own pace. You can return to both the Chahroudi Cottage and Massaro House to marvel at Wright's architecture and custom-designed furniture or take in sweeping views of Lake Mahopac from the homes' terraces. Nature lovers can head out on the hiking trail that loops around the island past centuries-old trees. At the end of the tour, visitors return to the boat for the ride back to shore.

Before or after your tour, you can enjoy breakfast or lunch at The Countryside Kitchen, which is Tripadvisor's top-rated restaurant in Mahopac. The cozy eatery, about a 10-minute walk from the Petra Island Tours dock, is known for its cannoli pancakes, omelets, and hearty sandwiches. You can also drive about 6 miles east to Carmel Hamlet, a beautiful under-the-radar lakeside town with eclectic eateries. Cyclists and pedestrians can reach Carmel Hamlet via the Putnam County Trailway, a scenic 12-mile paved trail converted from a late 19th-century railroad route. 

If you want to tour another notable home in the area, drive about 35 minutes west to Manitoga, one of the coolest homes in the Hudson Valley and a National Historic Landmark. Manitoga was the estate of Russel Wright, a famed modernist homeware designer. While he was not related to Frank Lloyd Wright, the two modern visionaries did meet. Completed in 1961, Wright's Japanese-style residence called Dragon Rock was designed to blend into its forested surroundings.