The D. J. Frankenberg House is a single-story building of irregular plan constructed of pressed yellow brick with a concrete apron. The house features three intersecting red tile hipped roofs with three hipped roof ventilator dormers. The house combines the Western Colonial Box format with Craftsman Bungalow design qualities, especially interior design elements and the four large, square brick pillars supporting the roof over the recessed porch. Characteristics of the Western Colonial box included the hipped roofs, dormers, and porch inset beneath the house roof. A brick exterior chimney is located on the north wing.
Windows are double-hung in wood frames with brick sills.
Original solar water heating panels are present on the south roof of the sleeping porch. Except for the infill of the front porch openings, no exterior changes have been made. The Craftsmen interior was constructed by local cabinetmakers Thomas W. and Dwight Nichols. By the 1980s, the interior of the house was virtually unaltered. Original Craftsman features, such as tapering square wood pillars supported by wood bookcases in a front entry, built-in wood cabinets in living and dining rooms and the kitchen, hardwood flooring, doors, and hardware were all intact and in good condition.