prairie house preservation society
Our main goal and focus right now as a non-profit group dedicated to restoring and preserving the Prairie House so people can enjoy it for decades to come is repairing the exterior cladding. This house was built in 1961. 60+ years of Oklahoma weather have taken a remarkable toll on the cedar boards that cover all the exterior walls. The tornado that came through east Norman in 2022 did not hit the house directly but the strong winds did rip off a lot of this exterior cladding. We partnered with W Design out of Tulsa to complete a Historic Structure Report for us and to produce a full 360 degree, 3D scan of the house. The report prioritized areas in need of repair. The house is structurally sound which was wonderful news. It is the aesthetic character of the house that needs the most work. The 3D scan will help us when we undertake the major task of removing exterior boards, rewrapping the house in waterproofing fabric, reinstalling usable existing boards and cutting/placing new boards to replace extremely damaged and missing boards. We have been applying for grants and fundraising to help us with this endeavor. We are in the process of getting the home on the National Register of Historic Places in order to be able to apply for more grants.
The Prairie House is an important representation of the American School of Architecture movement that came out of the University of Oklahoma. It exemplifies principles of organic architecture, using every day materials in new ways, and allowing the character of the landscape to inform the design of the house. We have a close relationship with OU’s Gibbs College of Architecture. Every year we host multiple architecture classes on tours through the building. This house was built by a graduate of OU’s College of Architecture, Herb Greene, when he returned to OU as a professor. Students of his helped build the house. It’s important to us to continue this collaboration with students.
Currently, the Oklahoma Contemporary Museum has an exhibit titled Outre West: The American School of Architecture from Oklahoma to California.
Outré West | Oklahoma Contemporary
One of our board members and OU Architecture professors, Stephanie Pilat, was heavily involved in the curation of this exhibit. The Prairie House is mentioned in this exhibit as part of a much larger discussion around the American School of Architecture’s philosophy and influence. It is a wonderful exhibit open until January 2025 and we encourage people to go see it.
I think a lot of people would be surprised at the level of quality architecture that can be found in Oklahoma.
Norman has already lost one such piece of exemplary organic architecture, the Bavinger House designed by Bruce Goff. We do not want to see the Prairie House befall the same fate.
