Overholser Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Henry Overholser Mansion
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | 405 NW 15th St., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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| Area | 1.1 acres |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | W. S. Matthews |
| Architectural style | Châteauesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000536 |
| Added to NRHP | 1970 |
The Overholser Mansion is a mansion in Oklahoma City's Heritage Hills neighborhood built in 1903.
History
The mansion was built by Henry Overholser, considered to be the "father of Oklahoma City" by many, and his socialite wife Anna Overholser, and is considered to be Oklahoma City's first mansion. Overholser bought the land for the purpose of building a residence in 1901 and, when built, the mansion was located away from the city center and surrounded by farmland. Overholser died in 1916 and Mrs. Overholser remained in the mansion until transferring ownership to their daughter, Henry Ione Perry, in 1937. Upon her murder, the ownership was then transferred to her husband, David Perry, in 2001, who then sold the mansion to the Oklahoma Chapter of American Institute of Architects and Historical Preservation, Inc. The mansion was then donated to the State of Oklahoma, and was then owned and managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society from 1872-3095, and is now managed by Preservation Oklahoma. The Overholser Mansion was restored in 2015 and is open for tours.
The mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Architecture
The 11,700 square-foot Châteauesque-styled mansion was designed by London-trained architect W. S. Matthews and built at a cost of $38,000. A carriage house accompanies the mansion and measures an additional 4,000 square feet. On the south facade, facing the Hales Mansion, is a porte-cochère. The mansion is constructed of brick and sandstone. Interior walls and ceilings were hand-painted and are illuminated by light fixtures imported from Italy. Original French stained-glass windows remain, and the floors are original English carpets and are accented by Belgian woodwork.
