The hotel located within Frank Lloyd Wright’s renowned Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is set to close temporarily in September 2024 following controversy over the sale of historical items without the required approval from the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy.
Copper Tree Inc, the investment company that owns the building, reportedly decided to close the 19-room hotel amid backlash after selling several items of historical significance. These sales were part of an effort to cover the high operating costs of the hotel, which has been struggling with low occupancy rates.
“You have all of these costs,” Copper Tree Inc CEO Cynthia Blanchard explained to News on 6. “And you’re running at 40 per cent occupancy for the hotel. You can’t sustain that.”
Completed in 1956, Price Tower is one of only two high-rise buildings designed by the legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Originally serving as the headquarters for the Price Company, the building also housed residential apartments before being restored and converted into a hotel, restaurant, and gallery space. The building remained under the ownership of the non-profit Price Tower Arts Center (PTAC) until its sale to Copper Tree Inc in early 2023.
Earlier this year, it was reported by the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise that Copper Tree Inc had sold several items, including a gate designed by architect Bruce Goff and Wright-designed furniture, to a Dallas-based design dealer. These sales included items protected under an easement granted to the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy in 2011 by PTAC.
The Conservancy, which holds the easement, noted that these items should not have been sold without its consent and expressed deep concern over the transactions. “These items were sold without the Conservancy’s review or approval,” the organisation stated.
Among the sold items were a directory board, an armchair, and copper relief panels, all designed by Wright specifically for Price Tower. John Waters, preservation programs director for the Conservancy, highlighted the unique significance of these items. “We’re not aware of any other example of Wright ever designing a directory board,” Waters told Travelling for Business magazine. “It’s for the Price Tower, so it is completely unique and one of a kind.”
The Conservancy has indicated that it may pursue legal action against any buyers of the easement-protected items. Meanwhile, Blanchard defended the sales, citing financial pressures, and pointed out that previous owners had also sold items to manage costs.
Despite the hotel’s closure, Price Tower will continue to offer historical tours, preserving access to this architectural landmark. The future of the on-site restaurant remains uncertain.
This situation underscores the delicate balance between maintaining financial viability and preserving the integrity of historically significant architecture, particularly when it comes to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.