Home Histories

601 is one of the most outstanding Spanish style houses in the area. It is of white stucco with a red Spanish tiled roof. Left of the center is a two story gable projected wing. There is a fine Spanish tile boarded recessed doorway and a hooded window with turned spindle wood protective grille work. All of the detailing is historically correct. There is a truncated stucco chimney to the right of the entrance with chimney pots. The second story windows have simple wide board shutters with wrought iron hold-back hardware, and there is a wood porch with turned balusters hanging from the eaves at the east, off a pair of French doors. The windows in the living room flanking the chimney have round heads and stained glass. The side porch has large arches springing from low pilasters and is now filled in. The driveway is brick and leads to quarters equally as interesting over the garage. This house is on the corner of Lincoln and 18th and has a block long white stuccoed retaining wall that is a familiar landmark to Oklahomans who drive towards the Capitol along Lincoln Boulevard.

Louis Macklenburg 1929-62
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation 1962-74
Delbert Cravens 1974 -

Louis Macklanburg, pioneer Oklahoma City industrialist and civic leader, was founder and chairman of the board of Macklanburg-Duncan Company, 4041 N. Santa Fe.

Macklanburg was born September 17, 1888, in a small Minnesota town and came to Oklahoma in 1903. After graduating from Blackwell High School, he spent two years at a university preparatory school in Tonkawa, then came to Oklahoma City in 1905 as a traveling salesman.

As an ambitious young man, he landed a job selling advertising space on the wooden fence around the grounds established for the first State Fair of Oklahoma. Years later, he would be head of the State Fair Association.

The Macklanburg-Duncan industrial complex began with Macklanburg's own frustrating struggle to weatherstrip his own home in 1919. Irritated at the faulty weather-stripping available, and convinced he could do better, he opened up a small plant at 211 W. First with hand-driven machines.

In a notable early-day example of sales management, he invested a three-foot high mode of door and window fittings to display his wares on hardware counters throughout the nation.

Within 10 years, the firm had more than 100 employees and an international market. The firm expanded to become one of Oklahoma City's major industries, with a diversified building products line.

During the Great Depression, Macklanburg joined Frank Buttram, then state chairman of the National Emergency Council, to serve on the state adjustment board under the National Recovery Act of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.

Macklanburg served on the War Production Board, during World War II, consulting on rolled metals, and through his company turning out quantities of aluminum and plastic aircraft parts to help meet the national need.

In 1962, the Macklanburgs (Mrs. Macklanburg was the former Pansy E. Cardell) left their handsome home in Lincoln Terrace to move to a one-story residence northeast of the city.

The two-story 1o-room home was presented to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which made it available for use as a child study center called Macklanburg House, in partial tribute to the donor's services as an advisory committeeman to the foundation. The house subsequently returned to private residence, and was owned by the Cravens family. Vinita Cravens was known as the "impresario of Oklahoma City." She brought Broadway shows to Oklahoma City for more than 40 years, with stars from Carol Channing to Lauren Bacall gracing the stage.