There’s No House In The World Like This One In Oklahoma
Note: as of September 2020, this attraction is permanently closed.
In 1961, architect Herb Greene built the Prairie Chicken House for himself and his family in Norman, Oklahoma. Greene’s Prairie House caused an international sensation when it was published in color in Life and Look magazines, The London Time Journals, and journals throughout Europe and Japan. The house quickly became a symbol of organic modernism. There are 2100 square feet of living area, a granite paved ramp and entry, carport, and a screened porch to stand on the roof 25 feet above ground.
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Framed with simple timber construction, the unfinished cedar shingles make the house look like a “chicken.” (Photo credit: Julius Schulman)
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The kitchen and family room receive the early sunrise rays while the main bedroom captures the brighter afternoon sun. (Photo credit: "Look" Magazine)
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He chose a 2-acre site on the prairies of Norman where no other houses could be seen, and aligned the house to resist strong winds and absorb sunlight.
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The two-story design evolved principally to give height over the prairie and to afford privacy for children and from children.
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Women were often moved to tears when experiencing the interior, yet the outside scared and puzzled people. A man once approached the house from a tourist bus and asked, “Is this where the tornado hit?”
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Look at all the details and rounded walls in the interior. (Photo credit: "Look" Magazine)
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Greene tried to evoke natural forms using delicate timber shingles and low-cost building materials. In the interior, the warmth of unfinished cedar is complemented by incandescent light and natural light.
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Cedar boards and shakes are collaged over a wood-sheathed frame surfaced with mineral-coated roll roofing, giving the house complex rhythms, fractures and metaphors of scales and feathers. (Photo credit: Julius Schulman)
Thank you to the Herb Greene Foundation for the photos featured in this article. Have you ever seen the Chicken Prairie House?
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Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 25 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. When she isn't exploring Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beaches of California.
