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Talk About Tulsa => PlaniTulsa & Urban Planning => Topic started by: TheArtist on November 23, 2010, 12:07:07 PM

Title: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: TheArtist on November 23, 2010, 12:07:07 PM
  Does anyone know why this historic home in Mapleridge was torn down?  I am painting some murals in a home in the neighborhood and drove around a bit and found some machinery ripping out the last bits of the foundations.  Because I know the neighborhood, I immediately knew which old familiar home it was. Did it catch on fire or something and have to be destroyed?  Or was it another tragic teardown?

This home was called "Tulsa's Castle" in the 100 Historic Tulsa Homes book.  Built in 1929 for one of Tulsas Oil Baron families.  I never went inside this one, but from the descriptions it sounded quite beautiful with its ornate decorative plaster ceilings, mahogany walls, iron and bronze chandeliers, glass atrium, etc.  

I suppose we will likely get a badly proportioned, bland, Tuscan style home with "stucco" over styrofoam, interiors with "high ceilings" of all kinds of hideously odd, low class, shapes for they make them high "I guess thats all that matters lol" without regard to any symmetry or proportions, and a nice garage out front, in its place.

(http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/9566/gothic15a.jpg)
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: patric on November 23, 2010, 12:10:26 PM
What a cool looking old house.  What was the address?
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: TheArtist on November 23, 2010, 12:13:45 PM
 It WAS on the corner of Terwilleger and South St. Louis Ave.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: AngieB on November 23, 2010, 12:53:26 PM
Oh my. I've been in that house. A friend lived there years ago. She called it her castle...she lives in NY state now, but I'm sure she'd be sad to learn it has been torn down.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: patric on November 23, 2010, 01:02:29 PM
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Terwilleger+and+South+St.+Louis+Ave+tulsa&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=S+St+Louis+Ave+%26+S+Terwilleger+Blvd,+Tulsa,+Oklahoma+74114&ll=36.126246,-95.969203&spn=0.004619,0.009624&z=17&layer=c&cbll=36.126291,-95.969243&panoid=vQ8YUaI1fbJ6OdUoFUkmKw&cbp=12,57.98,,0,0.41
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: heironymouspasparagus on November 23, 2010, 01:08:51 PM
It's Tulsa "progress".

Another terrible loss - not quite as bad as the castle, but still bad;
There was a magnificent old place just north of 15th street (14th) on west side of Utica that was torn down fairly recently.  Google maps shows the blank space where it used to be.  Google maps STREET view still shows the old house.  At one time, I was told that a doctor had built it back in early 1900's.  ??  Anyone know for sure?

American Theater Company was headquartered there for a while in the '70s.

Wonderful place.  At one time, beautiful wood trim inside - wonderful hardwood floors.  But I'm sure a condo or another small strip center will be much better for the neighborhood and revenue to the city 'planners'.

Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: AngieB on November 23, 2010, 01:09:09 PM
Hey Artist - Technically, I don't think that would be considered Maple Ridge. That area is Terwilleger Heights. I could be wrong, but I don't think Maple Ridge  goes east of Peoria, does it?

In any case, it's a real shame that home is gone.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: YoungTulsan on November 23, 2010, 01:12:44 PM
Whoever lived in that house would do it up very big for Halloween like a scary castle.

So some dude is going to build a Tuscan mcmansion there now?

* Edit * LOL at the forum changing my term for a feminine hygiene product into "dude" :D
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: waterboy on November 23, 2010, 02:00:19 PM
I don't remember the house but Angie is correct iirc. That area is not considered Maple Ridge and does not enjoy its protections. I can't imagine, short of irradiation, why anyone would take down such a fine looking home, but it was their home to do with as they please.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: OSU on November 23, 2010, 02:13:26 PM
Wow...that makes me sick to my stomach. Heck it made me sad when they planted those stupid magnolia trees in front of the house several years ago.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: Conan71 on November 23, 2010, 02:53:46 PM
Development myopia.  What a shame.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: Gaspar on November 23, 2010, 03:54:13 PM
Are we getting a new QuikTrip?
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: OSU on November 23, 2010, 04:16:50 PM
Just drove by and the house is still there...
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: SXSW on November 23, 2010, 04:41:45 PM
Terwilleger is on my way home from work so I'll check it out.  

There was another house recently torn down in Maple Ridge just south of 21st & Peoria.  The house was in bad shape and the property faces Peoria and Woodward Park.  It will be interesting to see what ends up getting built there.  Since it's in Maple Ridge are there any new development requirements?  

There are several new houses going up on the western side of Terwilleger Heights right now, all on 29th between Peoria and Rockford.  I like the one on Peoria, looks very Hugh Newell Jacobson.  
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: TheArtist on November 23, 2010, 05:01:33 PM
Quote from: OSU on November 23, 2010, 04:16:50 PM
Just drove by and the house is still there...

Hmmmm, egg on my face then lol. I thought I was certain that the house that was at the spot I drove by was that one. I will go by again tomorrow and get the street.  I know A house was torn down though lol. It was on a sharp corner lot like the castle one above, and had a similar lighter colored stone house next door as well.  Hopefully I was wrong. 
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: OSU on November 23, 2010, 06:31:30 PM
Quote from: TheArtist on November 23, 2010, 05:01:33 PM
Hmmmm, egg on my face then lol. I thought I was certain that the house that was at the spot I drove by was that one. I will go by again tomorrow and get the street.  I know A house was torn down though lol. It was on a sharp corner lot like the castle one above, and had a similar lighter colored stone house next door as well.  Hopefully I was wrong. 

I was so distressed by the thought of that house being torn down I had to go check for myself lol. It's easily in my top 5 of Tulsa homes.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: Breadburner on November 24, 2010, 10:40:38 AM
Thats not Maple Ridge.......
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: Kenosha on November 25, 2010, 08:26:33 PM
Quote from: SXSW on November 23, 2010, 04:41:45 PM
Terwilleger is on my way home from work so I'll check it out.  

There was another house recently torn down in Maple Ridge just south of 21st & Peoria.  The house was in bad shape and the property faces Peoria and Woodward Park.  It will be interesting to see what ends up getting built there.  Since it's in Maple Ridge are there any new development requirements?  

There are several new houses going up on the western side of Terwilleger Heights right now, all on 29th between Peoria and Rockford.  I like the one on Peoria, looks very Hugh Newell Jacobson.  


I like it too.
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: SXSW on December 02, 2010, 09:23:49 AM
Yeah it's definitely still there but you're right it could be torn down because it's not in protected Maple Ridge.  That is why I was so surprised to see that house on Peoria across from Woodward Park torn down, even though it was falling apart and wasn't particularly noteworthy. 
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: pmcalk on December 02, 2010, 06:32:20 PM
There is nothing in MapleRidge that keeps a house from being torn down.  Only North MapleRidge (north of 21st) has HP zoning, and even then, HP zoning only stays demolition for 60 days.  Most cities, including OKC, have much better protections.

My grandparents lived near that house.  Growing up, the story was that the house was haunted.  I remember stories about kids disappearing on Halloween when they trick-or-treated there--all urban myth, I'm sure.  But I'm curious if anyone else heard stories?
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: rdj on March 07, 2011, 03:17:19 PM
So which house was torn down?
Title: Re: Historic Home Torn Down
Post by: SXSW on March 07, 2011, 07:59:40 PM
Quote from: rdj on March 07, 2011, 03:17:19 PM
So which house was torn down?

The only one in the area I know of is just south of 21st & Peoria facing Woodward Park.  I saw heavy equipment doing site work there last week for a new house. 

No houses have been torn down on Terwilleger.