Conservatory for Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture Secures Unique Artifacts from Oklahoma's Price Tower Structure
In a significant move to preserve the architectural legacy of America's greatest architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy has acquired 11 original pieces designed for the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
These artifacts, including an armchair, copper tables, stools, embossed copper panels, and the building’s original lobby directory board, were purchased to ensure their preservation and prevent further sale and dispersal. The artifacts are currently being stored in museum-quality storage in the Dallas area.
The acquisition was an extraordinary step taken after persistent advocacy and lengthy negotiations, and it allows the conservancy to secure their easement-protected items without the uncertainty and high cost of pursuing further legal action.
The Price Tower, significant for its extraordinary design, is the only skyscraper built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Completed in the mid-1950s, it is a testament to Wright's unique architectural vision. The Conservancy aims to eventually return these pieces to public display in Bartlesville at the Price Tower, working with the building’s current owners, McFarlin Building, LLC, who purchased the tower in April 2025.
The sale of the Price Tower’s fixtures was a complication in the six-month-long dispute that preceded the acquisition. Copper Entities, the previous owners, began auctioning the items last summer, citing financial pressures due to debts estimated at $2 million. Some of these sales were in breach of preservation agreements.
However, a clause in McFarlin's contract required the sale of Price Tower to include all its fixtures, including the items custom-designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The resolution compels the enforcement of a May 2023 contract between Copper Tree and Green Copper Holdings, together known as Copper Entities, and Tulsa-based McFarlin Building Company.
The Conservancy, led by Executive Director Barbara Gordon, is deeply grateful to the generous donors who made it possible for them to save the unique Wright-designed items. The organization emphasizes the importance of these items to the architectural integrity and legacy of Wright's only skyscraper. The statement expressing this was posted online on August 7, 2024.
The sale of the Price Tower finally occurred for $1.4 million earlier this year, following a ruling from Washington County Judge Russell Vaclaw on January 21. The acquisition of the artifacts was announced on the same day.
The Conservancy's priority is to keep these artifacts together and off the private market, with a goal of returning them to the Price Tower for visitors to appreciate their unique beauty and historical significance. The exact date for their return to the building has yet to be announced.
[1] Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. (2025). Press Release: Frank Lloyd Wright Artifacts Acquired by Conservancy. Retrieved from https://flwright.org/press-releases/frank-lloyd-wright-artifacts-acquired-by-conservancy/
[2] The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. (2025). Price Tower Artifacts Acquired by Conservancy. Retrieved from https://www.examiner-enterprise.com/news/local_news/price-tower-artifacts-acquired-by-conservancy/article_7c47d890-6f36-11ed-9b6a-1b3589023418.html
[3] The Tulsa World. (2025). Frank Lloyd Wright Artifacts Acquired by Conservancy. Retrieved from https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/frank-lloyd-wright-artifacts-acquired-by-conservancy/article_0f45f43a-6f36-11ed-858f-c33589023418.html
[4] The Oklahoman. (2025). Price Tower Artifacts Acquired by Conservancy. Retrieved from https://oklahoman.com/article/5774056/price-tower-artifacts-acquired-by-conservancy
[5] The Associated Press. (2025). Frank Lloyd Wright Artifacts Acquired by Conservancy. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/art-and-culture-frank-lloyd-wright-bartlesville-oklahoma-4c216410e854737a80a36044a9a8852c
- The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, after securing the pieces, plans to return the Wright-designed artifacts to public display within the Price Tower in Bartlesville, working closely with the building's current owners, McFarlin Building, LLC.
- The price tower's design pieces, originally intended for the Price Tower, were up for auction by Copper Entities last summer due to financial pressure, but the sale was halted as the Conservancy was able to acquire them, thwarting further dispersal and private market transactions.
- The acquisition of these artifacts, worth preserving for their historical significance and architectural integrity, is an investment made possible by generous donors to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, with the ultimate goal of maintaining them in the Price Tower for future generations to appreciate.
