Harrah Rock House: Harrah, OK

Hey, Friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I want to show you around the historic Rock House in Harrah, Oklahoma. The Harrah Rock House was designed and built by Frank Primm. Let’s get started!

Street intersection with traffic lights and directional signs, featuring a stone house and green trees in the background.

Traffic lights and street signs at the intersection of Dobbs Road and N.E. 23rd St. near a stone house surrounded by greenery.

History

Frank Primm married Lillian Russell of Harrah in October 1924. Primm had moved to the area to work at the Horseshoe Lake Powerplant operated by OG&E.

In 1929, Frank Primm purchased a five-acre tract of land from L. Gilliland a half mile west of Harrah town. The property faced the pavement.

An old newspaper clipping titled 'Local Happenings' mentioning Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Reid's visit to McLoud and Frank Primm's new residence construction on East 23rd Street. — “Local Happenings.” *The Harrah Herald* (Harrah, Oklahoma), October 4, 1929.

The property was built in sections from 1930-1942, and includes the house, garage apartment, rock garden, and lake. The house is built in the 20th-century Tudor Revival architecture style.

Frank and his wife, Lillian lived in the home for about ten years total. They moved into the home once the exterior was completed and they went room-by-room finishing out the interior.

In March 1953, Frank suffered a devastating injury in an automobile accident in Arkansas. Both of his legs were fractured and he had possible internal injuries. This accident seriously affected his mobility and he knew he wouldn’t be able to finish building the interior of the home. The Primms decided to move.

The home was sold a few times and various owners have made changes throughout the years, but it still stands at the corner of 23rd street and Dobbs today.

The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 2025 in an effort to preserve this local treasure.

Visit

20000 NE 23rd Street

Harrah, OK 73045

Sources

Primary Sources

Newspapers

“Marriage Licenses.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), October 23, 1924.

“Local News.” The Harrah Herald (Harrah, Oklahoma), July 9, 1926.

“Local Happenings.” The Harrah Herald (Harrah, Oklahoma), May 10, 1929.

“Local Happenings.” The Harrah Herald (Harrah, Oklahoma), October 4, 1929.

“A Dream in Rocks.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 28, 1940.

“Frank Primm Is Improving After Auto Accident.” The Harrah Herald (Harrah, Oklahoma), March 20, 1953.

Secondary Sources

Alexandra Sharfman.”Two central Oklahoma sites join National Register of Historic Places.” FOX 25. March 10, 2025.

“Historic Frank and Lillian Primm Rock House Added to National Register of Historic Places.” City of Harrah. March 11, 2025.

“Nominating the Rock House to the National Register.” Höffner Design Studio.

The Active Historian