Louise Fraker House

45 E. Kent Rd.

The Arts and Crafts Movement in the early twentieth century promoted a “handcrafted aesthetic” produced by individual craftsmen as opposed to the Victorian aesthetic of ornateness and mass production. Minneapolis architect Jacob Stone Jr. was a family friend of Louise (Dickerman) Fraker and built the house for her and her family when they moved from St. Paul to Duluth in 1910.

Louise was married to Eugene Porter Fraker, but for unknown reasons, they seem to have separated about 1901. Indeed, after 1910, Louise listed herself as a widow even though Eugene was still alive. Her father and brothers were real estate investors who became involved in developing this neighborhood, among others. Since “Kent” was the middle name of Louise’s mother, one of her brothers, and the maiden name of her grandmother, we can assume they memorialized this family connection in naming the road. In addition to three of Louise’s children, two maids also lived in the house. Louise moved to San Antonio in the late 1930s to live with her son.