NEXT CHAPTER: Frank Lloyd Wright group supports Price Tower sale

McFarlin Building LLC has closed on the purchase of the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1952. The building and associated collections were scheduled to be auctioned on May 6 as part of the court-supervised bankruptcy of the previous owner, but no competing qualified bids were received by the bankruptcy trustee. The Conservancy holds a preservation easement protecting the building and certain collection items.

We look forward to this next chapter for the Price Tower, and to building a strong preservation partnership with its new owners. There is significant work ahead, but the infusion of new financial resources, together with a sustainable business plan, gives us great optimism for the tower’s future.

We've appreciated getting to know the McFarlin team over the last several months, and our conversations have been very positive. We are reassured by their respect for Price Tower’s historic significance and their commitment to honoring our preservation easement. Their creative approach to the reuse of buildings, and the knowledge they have of the regional market, provide a strong foundation for revitalizing this treasured landmark. We are grateful that they are taking on this challenge, and we stand ready to support them with expertise and knowledge as they work to stabilize and preserve the building.

During our easement visit to the building in March, we were able to account for all easement-protected collection items except for those already known to have been removed in early 2024. The collection items currently located in the building are now owned by McFarlin Building LLC. We are separately continuing to explore avenues for reuniting the missing items with the collection, but we cannot comment further on that at this time.

The Price Tower has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of recent challenges. It continues to stand proudly as an exemplar of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design innovation, and an irreplaceable symbol of Bartlesville’s cultural identity. The people of Bartlesville and the broader region deserve a positive outcome for this architectural icon. We are now hopeful that it has a vital future.