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Located in the southwest corner, this room is a tribute to the Master
Architect of the Marland Estate, John Duncan Forsyth. In 1925, Forsyth
learned that E. W. Marland was going to build a mansion that would
reflect his status as an oil baron, so he pursued Marland and convinced
the oilman to hire him. Thus began a rich architectural legacy left by
Forsyth in Ponca City.
Although he designed many buildings during his career, Forsyth was the
most proud of his design of the mansion. Marland gave him carte blanche
to create the plans for the "Palace on the Prairie." Forsyth
felt very fortunate to hire talented artists to hand paint the ceilings,
and he loved being afforded the luxury of using decorative wrought iron
and original stone carvings.
In addition to the mansion, Forsyth designed the Artist Studio, the
gatehouse, the chauffeur's cottage, the stables, and the administrative
building on the Marland Estate. Marland also commissioned him to build a
group of Southwest adobe buildings in downtown Ponca City and the
boardroom at Marland Oil
Company. In the mid-1930's, when Marland was governor, Forsyth
designed the state office building in Oklahoma City.
A very popular designer throughout northern Oklahoma, he designed many
homes and business buildings in Tulsa and Ponca City, and is also known
for the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Forsyth's original drawing of the Artist Studio is displayed on an
antique drafting table. A collection of Forsyth's photographs of the
mansion in 1930 is also featured.
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