National Register Record for JOHN FRANK HOUSE

Historic Name: JOHN FRANK HOUSE
Current Name: SAME
Address: 1300 LUKER LANE
City: SAPULPA            County: CREEK
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: THE FRANK HOUSE, LOCATED IN A POST-WORLD WAR II SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD IN SAPULPA, OKLAHOMA, IS A ONE-STORY HOUSE DESIGNED BY ARCHITECT BRUCE GOFF FOR JOHN FRANK, FOUNDER OF FRANKHOMA POTTERY. THE DESIGN IS A COMPOSITE LINEAR PLAN BASED ON THE ARC OF A CIRCLE WITH THE OUTER PERIMETER OF THE ARC FACING THE STREET. THE INNER CURVE OF THE PLAN DEFINES THE ENTRY COURT. THE BUILDING HAS A COMBINATION FLAT AND SHED ROOF AND WOOD FRAME STRUCTURE. EXTERIOR WALLS ARE CLAD IN TERRA COTTA ROOFING TILE, GLAZED BRICK AND TILE, AND PAINTED WOOD TRIM. ON THE STREET SIDE, THE OUTER WALL IS DEFINED BY TERRA COTTA ROOFING TILE WITH A SERIES OF RECESSED FIXED-GLASS WINDOWS. THE FRONT ENTRY OF THE HOUSE, LOCATED ON THE INNER CURVE, IS CONCEALED WITH A DECORATIVE SCREEN OF LACE-LIKE TILES BETWEEN TWO CURVED PROJECTING FORMS CLAD IN GLAZED BRICK. A BRIDGE LEADING OVER A REFLECTING POOL IS THE ONLY VISUAL CLUE TO THE ENTRY. THE INTERIOR HAS AN OPEN PLAN WITH FOLDING WOOD PARTITIONS. THE FOCAL POINT OF THE INTERIOR IS THE CIRCULAR FIREPLACE AND THE SUNKEN CONVERSATION PIT SURROUNDING IT. THE FRANK HOUSE IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE WORK OF BRUCE GOFF, AND RETAINS A HIGH DEGREE OF ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY. OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO THIS DESIGN, GOFF INCORPORATED ORDINARY BRICK, WHICH WAS GLAZED IN FRANKHOMA POTTERY COLORS, AS A MAJOR FEATURE OF THE DESIGN. THE USE OF GLAZES IS SIGNIFICANT, BECAUSE IT REPRESENT THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP GOFF DEVELOPED WITH THE OWNER OF THE FRANKHOMA POTTERY FACTORY. LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER 3/20/2002.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: DOMESTIC: SINGLE DWELLING
Current Function: DOMESTIC: SINGLE DWELLING
Area of Significance 1: ARCHITECTURE
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: OTHER: ORGANIC
Architect: GOFF, BRUCE - ARCHITECT
Year Built: 1955            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD
Restricted: N
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: 1999