1945 C. Street (The Junkin House)

Current owner: Betty & Rene Ferdinand
Built in 1908
J.C Cassel, Contractor

Estimated Time to Tour: 15 min

Key Things to See: 

★ Dramatic oriel window with decorative muntins—floods the staircase with light and architectural flair.

★ Quarter-sawn oak floors and uncovered original woodwork—historic details lovingly restored throughout.

★ Finished attic suite and custom Murphy Bed—modern comforts seamlessly blended into vintage charm.

The Junkin House is a true capital city residence, built for a Secretary of State during his term of office. George C. Junkin was a banker and farmer in Gosper County, Nebraska, who served in the state House of Representatives from 1903 to 1905, was elected Secretary of State in 1907 and 1909, and returned for a term in the state Senate in 1927- 1928.

At the start of his first term as Secretary of State in 1907, Junkin bought a house lot in Lincoln, and built this large American Foursquare for an estimated $3,500. The house has several distinctive features, including the decorative muntin patterns in many of the windows, the tall oriel projecting from the west side, with three tall windows to light the staircase, and the fan decoration about the north attic windows which makes them appear to be more Palladian. The appearance of the house has benefited by the removal of wide aluminum siding, which hid the finer texture of the original clapboarding and trim.

Over the years many changes have been made to the house. In 1947, Thomas Roope, the second owner, added a family room at a cost of $800. A distinctive fireplace has been added to that room by the current owners as well as uncovering hidden windows.

A walk through the house reveals many of the original aspects of the interior. In the dining room, the original plaster walls with their skim coat have managed to survive, as well as the quarter sawn oak flooring and trim. In the kitchen, the original chimney has been uncovered. The entire first and second floors have been stripped of layers of white paint to reveal the original wood. In the entryway, the west window came into view after a wall was taken down. Betty and Rene Ferdinand, moved into the Junkin in 1986 and are the tenth owners having spent almost four decades bringing this house back to the beauty it deserves. Note the main room pillars found in a scraphouse. Purple carpeting disappeared revealing impressive wood floors. The kitchen is truly one of a kind. Most recently a walk-in shower has been installed on the second floor, and the basement has been finished featuring a Murphy Bed built by design for lucky guests. The attic has been converted into the primary suite.