A 10,405-square-foot home Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his cousin, Richard Lloyd Jones, and completed in 1929, is in need of its next steward.
With a listing price of $7,995,000 and an incredible architectural pedigree, “this is a once-in-a-generation property for Tulsa,” says listing agent Rob Allen, of Sage Sotheby’s International Realty.
Known as Westhope, “this is a house that people in Tulsa feel belongs to the city, that it’s part of their history,” Allen adds.
Despite the steep asking price, this is not the Sooner State’s most expensive home for sale—although it’s the second-most expensive property in Tulsa. Westhope is a close runner-up to this new $8,500,000 listing.
Standout structure
This Wright property is significant for several reasons: Its square footage ranks it among the largest of his designs. It’s the only textile-block house outside of California.
It’s also one of only three Wright homes in Oklahoma. (Two others are in Bartlesville: Price Tower and the Harold Price Jr. House.)
Local developer Stuart Price snapped up the home in 2021 for $2,500,000. He then embarked on a restoration, inside and out.
“This has been a passion project of Stuart’s,” Allen says. “He’s loved owning this house. He’s held fundraisers here. And [actress] Sophia Bush hosted her pre-wedding dinner party here last year. Since we’ve listed it two days ago, it’s received significant exposure and inquiries.”
Passion project
Lloyd Jones, publisher of the Tulsa Tribune and co-founder of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Tulsa, owned the five-bedroom, 4.5-bath home until the 1960s.
The family who owned it next updated the kitchen and enclosed the patio to create a family room.
Allen estimates Stuart to be the sixth owner.
Stuart’s work on the home started with the outside, where “thousands of individual panels of glass, a lot of which were fogged,” needed replacing, Allen says. Concrete “textile blocks (also) needed to be repointed or replaced.”
Another major project was refinishing the stained-concrete floors. Price “brought in a company based out of Dallas to refurbish all the floors,” says Allen.
The kitchen got a much-needed refresh as well, he adds. “Price did his best to improve upon (the design) while still trying to maintain the look and feel of a Frank Lloyd Wright home. The cabinets are all original and stained. The countertops were a black granite, and he replaced those with lighter countertops.”
While not original to the home, the dining set was built according to a Wright design. Original to the home are built-in bookshelves and long, cushioned benches.
The 1.5-acre property includes an outdoor pool and a five-car garage.
In 1975, the residence was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. What sets this house apart—even among Wright’s storied designs—are alternating square glass windows and textile blocks.
Searching for a steward
Tulsa’s Midtown is considered “one of the most highly sought-after neighborhoods in Tulsa,” Allen says. “It garners the highest prices per square foot in the city. It’s got this great topography with winding roads. You can be in downtown Tulsa within minutes.”
Who will likely buy this?
“I’m looking for someone who wants a Frank Lloyd Wright house. I’m not just looking in Tulsa. I’m looking everywhere,” Allen says.
“Whoever takes on this property must have a passion for preserving this significant property and being a steward of something that’s so important, particularly to the people of Tulsa,” he adds.
“We’ve definitely thought about an institutional buyer, maybe a university or museum, or a foundation that wants their headquarters there,” he continues. “I don’t want to leave anybody off the table.”
Source: Realtor.com