Frank R. Lanter House

Franklin Ringold "F.R." Lanter was born in Union City, Indiana in 1854. When F.R. moved to Kansas, he settled first in Garnet in 1874, moved to Osawatomie in 1875, then settled in Olathe in 1876. He married another Union City native, Martha C. DeBolt, around 1878. His first job in Olathe was as a steward at the Kansas State School for the Deaf. He established the Lanter Lumber Company in Olathe in 1883. The couple had three children, two of whom were still living in 1910: Harlan, born in 1886, and a daughter, the future Mrs. C.S. McCalla. F.R. was a 55-year-old retail merchant in 1910 and shared the home on W. Park St. with his 53-year-old wife. Lanter owned the home free of any mortgage. By 1920, the Lanters moved to 212 Kansas Street in Olathe Ward 1, where they shared their home with a 33-year-old boarder, Harry Koontz. F.R. served as Johnson County Treasurer from 1920 to 1924 and later was Justice of the Peace. Martha died in 1930 and F.R. passed away in 1935 at age 81.

F.R.'s son, Harlan Lanter, did not live in the W. Park Street house in 1920. He and his wife and young children lresided at 115 N. Walnut Street in Ward 2; Harlan was an accountant at the lumber yard. By 1935, Harlan was president of the Cosley-Lanter Lumber Company with offices in Olathe and Overland Park.

The Lanter House was built in Stevenson's first addition, a block of land west of downtown Olathe. The house features two polygonal corner turrets and a semi-circular, two-story front porch. The home's exterior is clad in horizontal board siding. The limestone foundation lines a basement level. There is a one-story, rectangular rear porch with columns and railings matching the front porch; the rear porch accesses the kitchen. A large window with a top section of leaded, beveled glass looks out on the rear porch.

The main entrance leads to a large central room, with two rooms on both sides; this pattern is repeated on the second story. Closets and bathrooms have been added to the house, as well as carpeting upstairs, but many original elements have survived. Given the original owner's ties to the lumber business, it is not surprising that the home's interior is richly ornamented in a variety of high-quality curly maple, pine, and oak. Original wood baseboards, trim, pocket doors and mantels over three tile-faced fireplaces complement the home; the original gas lamp hangs in the dining room.

During renovation, Lanter's name was seen written on the back of some of the wooden trim. The property's garage is also from 1901 but has lost its architectural integrity due to changes to the exterior. The three-bedroom, three-bath home currently sits on a lot of 0.66 acre and features over 3,500 square feet. The eleven-room property is estimated to be worth over $365,000.

Anonymous. "Union City native, F.R. Lanter climbs high in Kansas commercial circle, dies age 81." Union City Evening Times (Union City, IN) November 6th 1935.

Lamb, Robert. Lamb, Daisy. NRHP Nomination of Franklin R. Lanter House. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 2007.

Loughlin, Amanda. 091-4140-00008 Lanter, Frank R., House, 562 W Park St, Kansas Historic Resources Inventory. Accessed August 16th 2020. https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=091-4140-00008.

Realtor.com. 562 W Park St, Olathe, KS 66061, Property overview. May 29th 2020. Accessed August 17th 2020. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/562-W-Park-St_Olathe_KS_66061_M81196-71358.

Shelley. Franklin Ringold "FR" Lanter, Memorial 26635462, Find A Grave. May 6th 2008. Accessed August 17th 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26635462/franklin-ringold-lanter.

Shelley. Harlan Debolt Lanter, Memorial 26635468, Find A Grave. May 6th 2008. Accessed August 17th 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26635468/harlan-debolt-lanter

U.S. Bureau of the Census. Household of Frank R. Lanter at 562 W. Park St., Ward 2, Olathe, KS, dwelling 247, family 247. Washington, DC. U.S. Government, 1910.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. Household of Frank R. Lanter at 212 Kansas St., Ward 1, Olathe, KS, dwelling 170, family 170. Washington, DC. U.S. Government, 1920.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. Household of Harlan Lanter at 115 N. Walnut St., Ward 2, Olathe, KS, dwelling 133, family 151. Washington, DC. U.S. Government, 1920.