LOCAL

The Farm House opens on 8th Street in Pawhuska

Robert Smith rsmith@pawhuskajournalcapital.com
The Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce last week marked the opening of The Farm House, a new bed and breakfast on 8th Street. The Farm House is the renovated, converted version of the old Crawford family home. At left, Reba Bueno of the Chamber of Commerce holds the ribbon, while Eric Gomez, at right, assists her, and Mary Rooks does the ceremonial clipping. Robert Smith/Pawhuska Journal-Capital

The old Crawford family home on 8th Street in Pawhuska has been transformed into an inviting new bed and breakfast called The Farm House. Owned by Dr. James Rooks and his wife, Julie, the lodging house represents an attempt to save elements of the structure’s original materials where possible, and combine them with materials that fairly represent Pawhuska’s past.

Contractor Eric Gomez gave a brief overview of the work done on the house, explaining that as much as possible of the upstairs was saved.

“We used everything we could on the property,” he said.

“It’s just been a joy and a pleasure to work with everyone,” Gomez added. “This project evolved.”

There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms upstairs. Each guest has his or her own bathroom, and his or her own thermostat, Gomez said. There is a fifth bedroom and bathroom downstairs, along with a spacious living and kitchen area that flow into one another.

Megha Patel, a young artist, has been preparing an oil-on-canvas rendition of the Lord’s Prayer in the Osage language to be mounted upstairs, across from the landing.

In the rear is a spacious covered patio area with a large, brick fireplace structure that Gomez explained had been built to evoke the image of a silo on a farm. Dr. Rooks had been particularly desirous of adding something evocative of a farm silo, Gomez said.

Next door, in the direction of Kihekah Avenue, is “The Cottage,” a related structure that has also been in the process of being renovated and prepared for use as a lodging accommodation. Patti Benson explained that “The Cottage” had at one time been used as a hair salon by Maxine Crawford.

Dave and Mary Rooks, parents of Dr. Rooks, will be handling the day-to-day operations at The Farm House.

“What you have is blood, sweat and tears here,” Dave Rooks said with a chuckle. He explained the conversion of the old house into a bed and breakfast resulted in trips to the emergency room, plenty of perspiration and Julie’s tears when the bills rolled in.

The outcome of all the effort is another little jewel in the restoration of Pawhuska.