Overholser Mansion

Overholser Mansion Circa 1903, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Built in 1903, the Overholser is considered Oklahoma City’s first mansion. The Queen Anne and Chateauesque architectural styles of the house were regarded as out of style and stood in stark contrast to the Mission, Craftsman, and Prairie styles of architecture that had become prominent of the time. However, when Henry and Anna opened the doors of their home to guests, their choice of style was not questioned.

The home remained a center of social life for decades--hosting weddings, dinners, and literary events. It was also the place of the birth of their only daughter, Henry Ione, in 1905. Throughout this time, the home remained in the hands of the Overholser family—after Henry died in 1915, his widow Anna continued to live in the house until her death in 1940. The house then passed to Henry Ione and her husband, David Jay Perry. The Perrys had no children, and when Henry Ione died in 1959, David Jay Perry was left as the sole heir to the mansion.

Realizing the historic value of the Overholser Mansion, Perry sought to see it preserved as a living tribute to the 89’ers—the group of people who arrived during year following the Oklahoma Land Run.

On June 22, 1970, the Overholser was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Less than two years later, on April 14, 1972, David Jay Perry achieved his goal of preserving the mansion by selling the house, including all of its contents, to the Oklahoma Historical Society. At the ceremonial deed signing, Perry stated that it “was Mrs. Overholser’s wish that it go to the city or state. She would be pleased.”

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The Overholser Mansion