Homebuyers who find themselves in a price range where they are touring rundown, neglected properties hope that they are looking at a hidden gem — that behind the grime and under the debris lies a masterpiece just waiting for the right owner to restore its glory.
Frank Howard knew he had found that in the home at 333 Westover Drive in Clarksdale, Mississippi. “When we pulled up, you could tell right away what this was,” he told Homes.com. “Even though it had been vacant for three years, you could see the beauty.”
The 7,660-square-foot house was the work of Frank Lloyd Wright protege E. Fay Jones. And less than a year after buying the home in February and restoring it, Howard has already put it on the market as he and his wife prepare to move closer to their children.
The asking price for the house is $799,900. Michele Johnston of Marx-Bensdorf Real Estate Co. is handling the sale.
Morgan Freeman used to stop by
Built in 1977, the one-story home has all the hallmarks of the Prairie style that Wright pioneered: low-pitched, horizontal roof lines, organic colors found in wood and brick, defined outdoor spaces.
In its heyday, the home was a recognizable treasure, though not always recognized as a home, Howard said. He told a story he heard from a local resident about a contractor who failed to deliver concrete to the house one time.
“He said he had been hired to bring it to a house, but he thought that it was a school,” Howard said.
Another time, a helicopter that was bringing a VIP to the country club across the street landed on the property, assuming it to be the swanky club.
But the house also got its share of intentional visitors. One of the previous owners was former mayor of Clarksdale Bill Luckett, according to Howard. Sales records for the property were not available.
Luckett, who died in 2021, owned the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale with his friend Morgan Freeman, who was apparently a regular visitor to Luckett’s home. “We’ve found Morgan Freeman memorabilia all around the house,” Howard said.
The 10-acre property includes a tennis court and an art studio featuring a light designed by Jones.
‘There will be no changes’
Howard, who was looking to move from Florida last year, didn’t exactly stumble blindly upon the property. “When I was looking for homes, I would always put in a search criteria of Frank Lloyd Wright,” he said.
Howard and his wife, Carolyn, moved into the four-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom house this year after purchasing it for an undisclosed amount.
The home had sat empty for three years at that point, and the disrepair was extensive. The piles of leaves were three feet high in some places, according to Howard. And even that wasn’t as unnerving as the pool in the back. “I’ve never seen bullfrogs that big,” he said. “There were a lot of things growing in there.”
The Howards slept on air mattresses as they started getting the house in order. They began with the primary bedroom and en-suite bathroom. “Then we had a place to sleep,” he said.
Much of the brickwork home, from kitchen to the shaker roof, needed work crews to make delicate repairs. Howard made a clear dictum to his contractors. “Anyone who worked in the house, I was very specific in telling, ‘There will be no changes.’ ”
Howard did make a couple alterations of his own, though, such as filling in the pool for a garden.
Cleaning the house revealed touches that neither Howard nor anyone else were aware of, such as the built-in lighting underneath the built-in sofa. “We continue to discover little things inside the house.”
After pouring in months of labor and what Howard estimates was roughly $200,000, “It’s done,” he said. “It’s what it was.”
Visitors return
Since returning to its former splendor, the home has become something of an attraction again, according to Howard. “People just stop by here,” he said.
Francine, the wife of former mayor Luckett, is one of the people who has visited. She said the house often entertained random people from around town back when she lived in it. Her husband would sometimes bring back any new people he met in town.
“She said she would wake up on a Saturday morning and her husband would have already invited people over from the club,” Howard said.
Howard said he’s sad to be walking away from the house, but he’s glad that he had a chance to fix it up. “It’s like living in a piece of art,” he said. “It’s been great watching it come back to life.”