2002
Home & Garden Tour
2116 N. Indiana
This quaint Tudor Revival style home was built in 1928 and originally occupied by Mr. Aaron Wickliffe and his wife, Beulah, who lived there until the late 1950's.
As a result of having so few owners over the years, this house has remained remarkably intact. The kitchen has been remodeled but retains many original fixtures such as the black and white flooring, cabinets, porcelain sink, dish drain, and stove hood.
Also original, and very unusual, is the wool carpeting in the living room--the subject of much debate . . . does one leave the carpet since you rarely find this type of old carpeting still in such excellent condition, or do you pull it up to enjoy the hardwood floors underneath?!?! What a dilemma!!! The majority of the woodwork is still in original stained condition and the living room still has the original wall sconces as well as a magnificent ceramic tile fireplace.
The bathrooms still retain the ceramic tiles on both the walls and floor although those rooms have been renovated to make them more "functional" by todays standards.
As part of the owner's legacy to the house, she has taken her charter from the previous owners (she had to promise to care for it lovingly and swear NEVER to install a Lazy Boy!!) and intends to keep the house as original as possible.
2020 NW 22nd.
This Tudor Revival home was built in 1926. It's taupe colored brick is accented with white and hunter green gables and window frames. The two front exterior wings are enhanced by the presence of arched windows, reflective of it's architectural style.
The home has had numerous owners over the years and has undergone major renovations and construction. The present owner has initiated many enhancements both inside and out in the past three years. The original wood floor is in excellent condition and serves as a wonderful reflection to the old English and traditional furnishings. The kitchen and nook area are reminiscent of an old Italian cafe with their antiqued gold walls, checkered accents, and decorated windows.
Major landscaping has also been accomplished by this talented individual. Literally dozens of flowers, shrubs, and ornamental trees adorn this garden jewel, all protected by an umbrella of large trees which may well be as old as the house itself. The bricked patio, fish pond, and flower gardens which frame the backyard are all visible from the family room and offer a peaceful and tranquil setting away from the noise and traffic sounds of the city.
Much of this renovation was performed at the hands of the owner, a confirmed "do-it-yourselfer," so feel free to ask questions.
Built of solid brick in 1904, the Berry Law Building was originally occupied by the United States Department of Agriculture and served as the Weather Bureau Building. Sophisticated weather forecasting equipment located on the roof assisted the meteorologists as they tried to predict the Oklahoma weather. Reports were broadcast from the building over local radio stations and a flag system was used to communicate the weather forecast to people traveling up and down Classen by street car. During those days, the top floor of the building was residential quarters used by the head meteorologist of the day and his family.
After 50 years of operation, the weather bureau moved to the airport area and the property was operated as the American Business College during the 1950's - 1960's. Many young people entered the business world after attending classes at 1923 N. Classen. In the 1970's the property served as headquarters for insurance concerns and was eventually certified by the United States Department of the Interior as an historic property.
Howard K. Berry and Howard K. Berry III, renovated the structure and furnished it in a way reminiscent of those early years. Mr. Berry continues to operate the property as a working law office for the Berry & VanMeter Law Firm.
2036 NW 17th
Known as the "Walch farm house", this Gatewood home’s history remains part mystery and part fact. One Gatewood history version states this home was the 1889 Lewis and Clara Walch farmstead home. The farm house first appears in the city directory in 1926. The Walch’s transferred their ownership of the property in 1901 to Margaret McKinley. In 1906 when McKinley Place was platted, the block where the farm house now sits was held by Bishop Theophile Meerschaert of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1922, the church sold this property and three adjacent lots to Nichols-Chandler Company which replatted part of the block. The single lot of the farm house was sold in June 1925 to Elizabeth Darcey, who borrowed $5600 in mortgages in November of 1925. It is unclear as to whether the home was built by Darcey to resemble a home whose style was popular 25 years earlier, the farm house style-- or a 1900’s vintage farm home was moved to the current site. The 1925 mortgage of Darcey’s could have been used for an addition to the existing farm house. Features of the home such as the cross gabled and shed style roof, the tall front chimney, eyebrow push-out wooden casement windows, a brick foundation and the bay-shaped dining room seem to date the home in the construction style of the early 1900’s.
The farm house today is centered by an island-focused kitchen. The exposed brick chimney, breakfast nook and natural maple cabinets beckon for hot apple cider and cookies. The evolution of the home to modern lifestyles has added a bath and laundry room on the first floor.
Scott and Jennifer Booker, the home’s current owners, have focused on the home’s farm house feel with a warm, natural interior and furnishings. The staircase in the farm house is for going ‘up & down’ rather than a design feature in homes built in the 1920’s and 30’s. The 3 upstairs bedrooms are light and airy. The wonderful ‘sittin’ porch was added by the Bookers.
The mystery of the history adds to the charm of this rare farm style home.
2025 Carey Place
In an area slightly larger than a football field sits the 36 most unique historic homes in Oklahoma City. Carey Place evolved as urban infill for a 160 ft strip of land originally designated for a high-speed electric interurban railway line. Between 1931 and 1938, Callaway, Carey, Foster and Woolf used their creative genius building California style Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival homes tightly bunched on a narrow street with small yards. The myths, mystery and legends of Carey Place, which include creaking swing chains on quiet moonlit nights and axes on shutters, brings goblins in droves on Halloween. The reality of Carey Place is single family and duplex homes, which because of their historic significance are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Enter into the eclectic beauty of 2025 Carey Place (1932) through a heavy wooden mission door. Don’t fail to notice the design in the slate tile, which mirrors the bricks on the exterior chimney. Such subtleties are common as arches, multi-levels, wing walls, a balcony, stucco, Spanish tile and hardwood backdrop decor that moves you from a Hemingway-esk, palm-fan sitting room, to a formal dining room which features Native American renderings of the stations of the Cross to a study with a mix of memorabilia resembling a museum.
The mixture of primitive furnishings and art of Nancy Smith, its current owner, compliment the thoughtfulness of this historic renovation. The kitchen showcases stainless appliances with maple cabinets. Add the traditional honeycomb tile of typical 1930’s bathrooms to the mix of a Santa collection displayed in the master bedroom to silk and damask linens and you have a home whose interior challenges the imagination to the same extent as the wonder of Carey Place.
