Boundless Traditional Cache
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is technically located on private property near the concrete slab that once was the sign marking the entrance to Sconfinato. Permission has been obtained by the owner, but please be respectful of the surroundings.
Sconfinato is the Italian word for “boundless”, and that was the inspiration behind this small, secluded, and long-forgotten community located in Erin, WI. Developed in 1970 on 68 acres of farm field, Sconfinato was the project of building partners Robert Caldart – a local high school art teacher and potter – and Michael P. Johnson – a then unknown architectural apprentice from Colgate, WI. Together, the two created an artisan community of painters, weavers, sculptors, jewelers and potters – including the late and famed Raku potter, Russell Kagan.
The seven original homes were unique in design and reflected the architect Michael P. Johnson’s influences of Frank Lloyd Wright and Paolo Soleri. The homes were built on 1 – 3 acre lots, although no formal property lines existed, and exhibited the forward thinking philosophy of community in harmony with its natural surroundings. In 1974, Johnson announced plans for a 2000 square foot Community Cultural building to be designed by the famed architect, Bruce Goff. The structure was to be the first Bruce Goff design in Wisconsin and was due to be completed in 1975.
Unfortunately, the cutting edge home designs and lofty dreams of Sconfinato were undermined by the rising building costs of the 1970s. The Community Cultural Center was never built and cheaper construction materials used on the homes often led to leaky roofs, frozen pipes, and drafty windows. By 1976, Michael P. Johnson had declared personal bankruptcy and left for Arizona where he went on to become a world-renowned architect, as well as a teacher at the Frank Lloyd Wright school of design – Taliesin West. Robert Caldart bought out Johnson’s half of the project and today remains the only original resident of Sconfinato, where he runs a small art gallery by the same name.
Sadly, Sconfinato is a shadow of its former glory. While some homes still maintain the integrity of Johnson’s contemporary designs, many of the original homes have been remodeled to more conservative standards, and the remaining lots that sold now display homes that bare little resemblance to the original idea of the artisan community. Hopefully this cache will bring “boundless” attention to this architectural hidden treasure.
** May 11, 2012: It is with sadness that we report the death of Bob Caldart - the co-founder and last original resident of Sconfinato. The tribute on the Sconfinato Pottery Gallery Facebook page reads:
"What I do is timeless. Who I am, survives. I make my mark in stone and clay, to brighten up your lives. A life's pursuit to hone my craft, that others may now see. The visions that I have inside, are now all yours to keep.
I have lived a life, full measure, of that I say with pride. Now time has found its way to me, of that I must abide. My journey is not ended. In fact, it is all new. For like the clay turned into stone, I'll always be with you."
This cache is now respectfully dedicated to honor the memory of Bob Caldart and his boundless dream of Sconfinato. **
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