Franklin Avenue Prairie Style/Craftsman House on 2008 River Bend Tour
The house at 410 Franklin Avenue was built in 1905 by George H. France and his wife Nannie. According to a 2002 Des Moines Register article by Renda Lutz, George Henry France and his wife, Nannie, were prominent members of Des Moines society in the late 1800’s.
The home, which is one of the stops along the River Bend Neighborhood Home Tour, was built in the Prairie Style, which is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, which were a successor to and influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement. The two-and-a-half story house itself is approximately 4500 sq. ft. and once sat on almost an acre of land facing Oakland Ave., with the address of 1820 Oakland Ave.
The property stayed in the family until it was sold by the son, George A. France. The property was divided and the house was then converted into 8 apartments in 1938 by the Open Bible Church and an apartment building was then built in 1956 on the front lot. The house remained primarily unchanged until April of 2007 when it was purchased by Mike Hildebrand and Maurice Adair. Since April the homeowners have been able to convert it back to a single family home.
The 2008 River Bend Neighborhood Home Tour is September 6 and 7.
Categorized as: Home Tours
