Director of Media Relations and Internal Communications 308.865.8136 or mertensrj@unk.edu
The historic Frank House on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus will be the scene of weekend history discussions and performance presentations through December.
The program Frank Talk, highlighting the history and arts of the G.W. Frank family, will be presented each Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at the house. The first talk will discuss the large Tiffany window in the Frank House and Louis Comfort Tiffany who designed it. The discussion will be lead by Sarah Jones, Frank House educational coordinator.
The Frank House will open for a tour at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Visitors are invited to bring a sack lunch to be eaten on the veranda following the tour.
On Sunday, Sept. 9, the first Parlor Performance Series will begin at 1:30 p.m. This short musical or drama is designed to celebrate history through the fine arts. The presentation will be followed by tours of the mansion.
On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Frank Talk will detail the life of George W. Frank and his family. Frank built the house and was instrumental in Kearney’s early economic boom. On Sept. 22, the early years of the Kearney Canal will be discussed. On Sept. 29, information about H.H. Richardson, the originator of the architectural style of the Frank House, will be featured.
Although no admission is charged, free-will donations for preservation and programs will be accepted.
The Frank House is an 1889 house museum on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. The three-story mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and furnished with period furniture.
Built with the finest materials, it cost about $40,000 to construct, the equivalent of about $2.4 million today. The average cost of a house in 1889 was $1,000.
Designed by George Frank Jr., this home was one of the first in the Midwest to be wired for electricity. The Frank house is made of Colorado sandstone and combines the Shingle style and Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. All the woodwork in the house was hand carved by a master craftsman.
The mansion was the home of developer George Washington Frank, Sr., who in the late 1800’s helped create an economic boom in Kearney. Responsible for the completion of the canal and hydroelectric plant, he provided electricity for the early factories and streetcars.
For more information about Frank Talk and the Parlor Performance Series, see the web page at: www.frankhouse.org.
