KrisAnn Sullivan
Frank House director, 308.865.8284 OR sullivankw@unk.edu
A History and House Tour of the Frank House presentation on Saturday, Oct. 1, will open the fall Saturdays at the Frank House series.
Brian Whetstone, a sophomore at Kearney High School and a Frank House volunteer, will lead the tour, highlighting the architecture of the Frank House, the grand Tiffany window and the mysterious third floor. Whetstone will also touch on the rich history of the Frank family and their impact on the Kearney community in the 1800s.
The Frank House, which was designed by George William Frank Jr., was completed in 1889. The house is built out of Colorado red sandstone, quarried in Wyoming then cut to size on site. In all, there are three floors and a full basement, totaling 18,000 square feet. The Frank family lost the house in the 1890s, due to the financial So, for my undergraduate degree I attended an art fashion design schools in Boston studying graphic design, film and video. depression that also affected much of the industry in Kearney.
In 1905, the Drs. Grothen purchased the house and grounds, and repurposed the house as a clinic and sanitarium. The State of Nebraska purchased the house in 1911, and used it as part of the Nebraska Hospital for the Tuberculosis until 1972. At that time, Kearney State College/University of Nebraska at Kearney acquired the house and grounds, and began renovations to preserve the aesthetic and historic value of the mansion.
The tour, which will begin at 1:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. However, donations are accepted. The historic mansion is located on the University of Nebraska at Kearney West Campus.
Whetstone, who has been volunteering at the Frank House since June, said that he first toured the Frank House last February.
“I couldn’t stay for the whole thing,” Whetstone said, “but it has had me hooked ever since! I started doing a lot of research in the house archives and discovered the house’s numerous connections with Kearney, and I just couldn’t stop looking into things to try to get all the details figured out.”
“My favorite part about giving tours would probably have to be when people are really genuinely interested in the house,” he said. “It makes them more interactive and fun instead of just listing some facts. You can tell them some things that not a lot of people get to hear. It’s like telling someone a secret.”
Upcoming Saturdays at the Frank House programs include: Oct. 8, “Fencing like the Franks”; Oct. 15, “Study Abroad (Yes, the Franks did too!)”; Oct. 22, “Holiday Card Making”; and Oct. 29, “Phantoms at the Frank House.” For more information, visit: www.frankhouse.org
