Efforts made to save Frank Phillips Home
BARTLESVILLE — Serious budget cuts have forced the Oklahoma Historical Society to give up operation of the Frank Phillips Home, one of the state’s most significant historic homes.
It led to a year-long effort to avoid one of the provisions of the original deed — the demolition of the home to build a park.
According to the deed, if the Oklahoma Historical Society could no longer operate the facility, ownership was to be transferred to the City of Bartlesville. If the city was unable to operate the museum, the deed called for the demolition of the significant historical home.
“That was about 18 months ago, and after talking with officials with the city of Bartlesville we were not going to let that happen under any circumstance,” said Bob Fraser, CEO of Woolaroc. “If we let that happen to the house Frank would have come down from heaven and kicked our tails.”
No need for Frank Phillips to come back to life and kick anyone.
The Frank Phillips Foundation, owner and operator of Woolaroc, is taking over a lease on the historical home located in Bartlesville and is actively working to fund an operating endowment to preserve it for future generations.
The Frank Phillips Home, located at 1107 Cherokee Ave. near downtown Bartlesville, has been operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society since 1973.
However, the Oklahoma Historical Society has been hit hard by state budget cuts in recent years. It recently transferred ownership of Sequoyah’s Cabin to the Cherokee Nation and has been working with local entities to find additional funding to keep other historical sites open.
Bob Blackburn, director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, told the Tulsa World earlier this year that the society’s state funding has been slashed by more than 40 percent in the last eight years.
Bartlesville officials were notified more than a year ago that the Frank Phillips Home was one of the facilities that would need additional funding and support or it would be closed.
Under terms of the deed with the Oklahoma Historical Society, when it took ownership from the Phillips family, ownership would shift to the City of Bartlesville if the OHS could no longer afford to operate it.
If the city was unable to take ownership and operate the home, then the house was to be demolished and a “green space” park would be created.
All of the contents of the historical home were to go to Woolaroc.
“So, this has been in the works for a long time because once we looked at the deed we knew we had to find a different solution,” Fraser said.
The City of Bartlesville and Woolaroc worked out an agreement whereby Woolaroc would take over the operation of the facility.
“It was a natural for us,” said Fraser.
“But, there were still quite a few details to work out, legally and financially, to make it work.”
Woolaroc has embarked on a $1 million fundraising effort in the past year to fund an endowment for operation of the Frank Phillips Home.
Construction on the Frank Phillips Home was finished in 1909. The original 26-room neoclassical mansion has been remodeled twice, the last time in 1930.
The interior of the home is filled with original furniture, decorations and personal effects.
The Frank Phillips Foundation, which will hold the lease on the home, operates Woolaroc, the fabulous Phillips ranch and museum about 12 miles southwest of Bartlesville.
The expected transfer of ownership of the Frank Phillips Home to the Frank Phillips Foundation will be decided in Washington County District Court in the near future.