{"nrhp_refnum":"98001374","name":"Wilson, Ralph, Sr., and Sunny, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1714 S. 61st. St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Temple","county":"Bell County","state":"TX","lat":31.08837591300005,"lon":-97.38054957599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-11-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Invention"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A single-story, ranch-style brick house of about 2,000 square feet at 1714 South 61st Street in the Woodlawn Park subdivision of Temple, Bell County, Texas, completed in the summer of 1959 from drawings by Ralph Wilson Sr. and his daughter Bonnie McIninich.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it was the first mid-century modern house built in Temple and an excellent local example of the style, with open plans influenced by the California Case Study houses. It is also nationally significant in the area of Invention for its experimental use of decorative plastic laminate as a wall, cabinet and shower surface. Ralph Wilson Sr., founder of a leading laminate manufacturer, used it as a model home, a testing site for his products and his residence. Its interior survives in exceptional condition.","narrative":"Built in 1959 at 1714 South 61st Street in Temple, Texas, this U-shaped brick ranch house was designed by businessman Ralph Wilson Sr. and his daughter Bonnie McIninich, with Nathan Draughon as builder and Lee Froebel completing the interiors. Wilson, founder of Ralph Wilson Plastics, wanted a private home that would also serve as a model house and a testing ground for decorative plastic laminate. Instead of drywall, laminate sheets in lemon yellow, aqua, pink and white were fixed directly to the wall framing, and also cover cabinets, pocket doors and shower surrounds. The open public rooms and separate, private bedrooms reflect the California Case Study houses. It is regarded as the first mid-century modern house in Temple, and for its inventive use of laminate. Wilson lived there until his death in 1972. The interior remains remarkably intact, and the property has been restored to its 1950s appearance, with plans for a museum on the laminate industry.","period_of_significance":"1959-1966","architect_builder":"McIninich, Bonnie (designer); Draughon, Nathan S. (builder); Froebel, Lee (interior)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Ranch (mid-century modern)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still a single-family residence; owned by Wilsonart International, which restored it to its 1950s appearance and plans an archive and interpretive museum on the laminate industry.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.280664-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/58/9710/40971058/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/98001374.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001374/17649915c8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001374/17649915c8-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WilsonHouse1.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WilsonHouse1.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971058","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001566"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bell-county/wilson-ralph-sr-and-sunny-house-98001374/"}