Take advantage of this annual event to tour some of Oklahoma City’s most beautiful homes.
By Valerie Settles,
Director of Interior Design,
University of Central Oklahoma
Wandering the tree-shaded streets of this community located just north of downtown Oklahoma City gives the modern-day visitor an opportunity to sample one of the best of the city’s many historic neighborhoods. And for one weekend each fall a few residents of this district allow the public to experience their beautiful homes firsthand. This year, six homes (including one garden) and the Overholser Mansion are participating in the tour, each providing an interesting cross-section of the architectural flavor of the neighborhood.
Originally developed by several of Oklahoma City’s founding fathers as three separate districts at the turn of the twentieth century – Classen’s Highland Parked Addition, Classen-Winans Addition, and the Harndale Addition – this lovely area faced threats from commercial developers and progressive city planning during the 1960s. Concerned about the potential destruction of this significant portion of early city history, residents formed Historic Preservation Inc. to combine the areas, and Heritage Hills was born. The first home tour was held in 1967 as a way to raise funds for purchasing neighborhood properties endangered with demolition, as well as local improvement projects and preservation efforts. Today, proceeds from the tour are used for historic education, contributions to the community elementary school, maintaining public areas within the neighborhood, and continued support of the Overholser Mansion.
An annual feature on the home tour, the Overholser Mansion was one of the very first homes built in this enclave (at that time a corn field) and is the crown jewel of the district. Currently undergoing the first major renovation since its construction in 1903, this 11,000-square-foot French Chateau-esque home was built by Henry and Anna Ione Overholser, and is an interesting combination of architectural styles. Occupied by the Overholser family until 1972, the property is now managed as a house museum by Preservation Oklahoma in conjunction with the Oklahoma Historical Society, and is open for tours Wednesday through Saturday (for more information on the mansion, visit http://overholsermansion.org).
The theme for this year’s home tour is “The Roaring Twenties,” a decade in which many of these homes were completed; accordingly, the homes have been given nicknames in keeping with the times. Located in the southwest corner of Heritage Hills, two lovely homes are conveniently across the street from each other in the 900 block of N.W. 15th. The “Charleston” was built in 1928 by a German who made the land run of 1889 and settled in the El Reno area. An investment in land in the Texas Panhandle paid off when he discovered oil on his property in the 1920s. This lovely home reflects a blend of English Georgian and Regency architectural styles with its symmetrical design, central gable over the entry, red brick exterior with white stone accents, and rounded entry with Corinthian columns and fanlight over the paneled door. Moving inside, one immediately appreciates the grand, free-hanging staircase winding up to the second floor around a beautiful antique crystal chandelier. The formal living room is a light-filled space that spans the entire depth of the home and is filled with comfortable furniture upholstered in warm coral and green. A striking fireplace with marble mantel and surround provides a focal point for seating arrangements and complements the intricate egg-and-dart molding on the cornice. Original window treatments in Fortuny-patterned fabric remain in the space as a link to the past.
Across the street, visitors to the “Jazz Age” can experience another example of English style in this Tudor-inspired home. An arched front door surrounded by stone quoins and carved stone lintel leads to a foyer with dark wood stairs and oak floors. Tudor arches lead to the living areas; similar design motifs continue throughout the home, including a Tudor-style vent hood over the range in the kitchen.
The “Flapper,” built in 1903 and located in the 500 block of N.W. 14th, was one of the largest frame homes built in Heritage Hills. Its construction is a variation of the Prairie style of architecture known as American Four-square, and is typified by a simple square shape, horizontal lines, large central dormer, and a full-width porch accessed by wide stairs. While this home appears unassuming from the street, the interior is exquisitely maintained and a feast for the eyes. Stunning Ionic columns in oak are found in the entry and dining room where they flank a comfortable, upholstered window seat. Warm wood trim around doorways and windows complements the creamy wall colors and hand painted mural dating from 1908. A replacement “carriage house,” designed to honor the previous structure with windows placed in the same arrangement as the original horse stalls, provides a restful, contemporary alternative for guests who wish to get away from the larger main home.
In the 300 block of N.W. 16th street, the “Great Gatsby,” built in 1929, provides a change of pace from the early twentieth-century design of the “Flapper.” This dramatic home takes its inspiration from Moorish design with a stucco exterior, clay roof tiles, carved stone window heads, and ornately carved molding surrounding the entry door. Inside, dark wood contrasts with creamy white walls and brings to mind the cool, shady spaces within a Mediterranean sanctuary. A stunning circular stairway leads to a balcony that overlooks the living room and provides an up-close view of the carved, hand-painted beams on the ceiling. This stairwell contains a striking chandelier and several wall sconces original to the home, made of metal and glass ornamented with delicate dragons. These features are just a few of many that make this home truly distinctive.
Located next door to each other in the 300 block of N.W. 19th, the “Cat’s Meow” and the “Hemingway Garden” were built within a few years of each other in the early part of the decade. “Hemingway Garden” is patterned after the Colonial Revival style popular in Williamsburg, Va. Rumor has it that the original owner built in that style to appease a wife who refused to live here unless she could have a home similar to that of Williamsburg. Whatever the motivation, this lovely, light-filled home with graceful proportions contains many interesting features such as arched, glass-paned pocket doors and an intricate stained-glass window on the stair landing. The “garden” portion of the name is revealed as one enters the back yard, with its terraced dining area, gurgling fountains and swimming pool. The ivy-covered fences of this shady oasis provide an intimate, private retreat in the middle of a thriving neighborhood.
The adjacent “Cat’s Meow” manages to maintain the historic flavor of the home while updating the interior with warm neutrals and comfortable, clean-lined furniture. With abundant natural light from the many wide windows, interior spaces have an open feel that allows one to move easily from space to space for entertaining. A sunroom downstairs contains a small-scaled sectional sofa perfectly in proportion with the architecture of the room, along with a small fireplace with an original Frankoma clay tile surround. A highlight of the home is a bright, airy screened-in porch that provides several seating areas, as well as a table for enjoying meals while overlooking the shady, private backyard with terraced flower beds.
Located in the 200 block of N.W 19th, the “Prohibition” has the most contemporary feel of any of those on the home tour, although it was built in 1918. The simple, clean lines of the architecture lend themselves well to the more modern interior design seen here. By combining traditional and contemporary furnishings and accessories, the owners have created an eclectic atmosphere that honors the past but reflects a modern-day aesthetic. Creamy neutral colors are combined with silver and gray to complement wood flooring and furniture while a den with apple green walls provides a stimulating counterpoint to the otherwise neutral color palette. The kitchen showcases beautiful granite countertops with a subtle yet texturally interesting backsplash of black slate. Dark-stained wood cabinets shine in the glow from sleek, contemporary pendant lighting.
The Heritage Hills Home Tour will be held on Saturday October 24 and Sunday October 25 from 12 – 5 p.m. each day. Tickets are available for purchase at each of the homes on the days of the tour, or from area merchants in advance. Consult the Heritage Hills Web site for a complete list of ticket locations, tour map, and details of the tour shuttle service (www.heritagehills.org). Refreshments will be available for purchase from the POPS soda truck, located in front of the Overholser Mansion. Though you won’t need to travel there by the streetcar that once served the area in the 1920s, you can enjoy a beautiful Oklahoma autumn afternoon by touring a distinctive neighborhood that showcases some of the best of our historic architecture and design.
