Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness. – Frank Gehry
The Architect of our historic home has been a mystery. The 1992 nomination of our home as a listed Kansas Historic Place includes a discussion of its architectural origins, is the current official information.
Before the above research, some suggested it was a pattern book house. There are several verified pattern book houses in our neighborhood; a few were even ordered as a “kit” via the Sears-Roebuck catalog, arriving in bundles via train. These are not tiny bungalows, but rather two and three-story homes, one complete with a turret! We have poked around this area a bit, with no results.
Frankly, our home has many unique features, including the red slate roof, which seems to rule out the latter as a viable option.
A Possible Belgian Connection
In the late 1990s, we spent several years in Belgium for my work. While there, we endeavored to visit local sites, learn the history, and enjoy the culture of our host nation. One such location was the King’s Greenhouses in Laiken. Little did we know that the possibility of a very personal connection to our home was about to emerge.
An Immigrant Belgian Architect
A friend of ours from Oklahoma came to visit and mentioned our house was very similar in style to a house in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The architect was Joseph-Pierre Foucart, a Belgian Architect who immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s. M. Foucart became known as the developer of the distinct architecture for which downtown Guthrie is known. In fact, the entire district is a historic landmark.
We looked into this possible connection and even contacted a living descendant of M. Foucart, who visited our home. This relative did say that our home has many of the Foucart features, including
- The arched limestone window
- The masonry
- The prominence of blue-stained glass windows
- The house floor plan
In fact, when he stepped into the front hallway, without going through the house, he described the exact layout of both the first and second floors!
We also:
- visited Guthrie, OK
- did online research
- Looked into his possible presence in Wichita, “on his way” to Oklahoma by researching meeting records of the Masonic Lodge and other fraternal organizations he associated with.
Nailing Down The Precise Timing
If we could more precisely define his route and transport from Paris to his arrival in 1888, the mystery could be resolved. For instance:
- What port did he depart from in Europe? On what date?
- On which ship? (more to come on this)
- Did he arrive in New York? On what date?
- What means of transport and route did he take to Oklahoma? (see below)
- What cities did he visit along the way?
An AI search (yes, I’ve started using this a bit) gives this tidbit of information:
“Route: He initially spent three months in Texas upon arriving in the United States before moving to Kansas City and eventually joining the Land Run of 1889 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.”
Travel from Texas to Kansas City to Guthrie generally ran through Wichita via the Chisholm Trail, but the timing is off. Our house was completed in 1888. Unfortunately, despite so many indicators, we have yet been able to make a direct connection to M. Foucart, as our house’s architect.
We can say, with certainty, that this house is in the style of Joseph-Pierre Foucart. Where the plans came from remains a mystery.
Owning an historic home is an endless source of stories to rescue. What questions come to your mind that we could consider as we continue our search? Let me know in the comments or by emailing me at: nhcullen@cfaith.com