Frank House director, 308.865.8284 OR sullivankw@unk.edu
The Frank House on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus will display historic quilts dating from 1856 to the early 1900’s beginning Thursday, June 21, according to KrisAnn Sullivan, Frank House director.
An opening reception for the quilt exhibit will occur 10 a.m. until noon, Thursday, June 21. The reception is free and open to the public.
The mansion will maintain special viewing hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, June 23. After that, the quilts can be viewed through Aug. 31 during the Frank House’s normal hours of noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
“Although there is no admission charge, donations from the public ensure that preservation and restoration of the house continues,” Sullivan said.
Eleven quilts owned by the Frank House, and additional quilts on loan are included in the exhibit. The Frank House quilts have not been publicly displayed in a decade.
“We owe a big thanks to Cathy Richardson and the County Crossroads Quilt Guild for making this exhibit possible,” Sullivan said. “They provided all the materials and prepared the quilts to be properly displayed and rotated.”
Assisting in preparing the Frank House and gardens for the event are the Soil Sisters, a Kearney gardening club. The Friends of the Frank House, a volunteer support group, is also helping, as have been three UNK students. The students include Sarah Schreiter of Holdrege, and Sarah Jones and Katherine Sizer, both of Kearney.
The Frank House, built by George Washington Frank, was constructed in 1889. The three-story house still features six of its original fireplaces, hand-carved oak woodwork, chandeliers and a large Tiffany stained glass window. The mansion was wired for electricity during its construction, only 10 years after the invention of the light bulb.
After the Frank family bankruptcy in the late 1800’s, the house was purchased by a physician and served as a clinic until sold to the State of Nebraska. From 1911 until 1972, it was part of the Nebraska State Hospital for the Tuberculous.
Kearney State College acquired the house in 1972 when the state deeded the property to the college. In 1973, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
