Explore the History of the Marland Estate . . .
Construction - 1925 - 1928
E.W. Marland 1928 - 1941
Even though Mr. and Mrs. Marland had to move from the Mansion
in 1930, they retained ownership while he served in Congress and
as governor of Oklahoma. They opened the mansion for parties and
special events and E.W. used it as his campaign headquarters whenever
he ran for office. Six months before he died, Mr. Marland sold
the complex to an order of monks, the Discalced Carmelite Fathers.
He did not sell the chauffeur's cottage where he and Lydie were
living.
The Discalced Carmelite Fathers (1941 - 1948)
The Carmelite Fathers established a college of philosophy at the
mansion in 1941 and were cloistered there until 1948. They then
sold the complex to the Sisters of St. Felix for $50,000.
The Sisters of St. Felix
(1948 - 1975)
The Felician Sisters renamed the estate Assumption Villa, and
operated a nunnery and high school at the mansion. The nuns themselves
lived in the mansion, on the upper level. They built the chapel
and the administration building. They also built Angela Hall as
a private high school, and in the 1960’s, they added a dormitory.
The City of Ponca City
(1975 - Present)
In 1975, the Felician Sisters announced that they were planning
to sell the mansion and surrounding property and move to New Mexico.
Conoco offered to pay half of the purchase price if the City of
Ponca City would pay the other half. A one-cent sales tax was
proposed by the city to fund their part.
Lydie Marland returned to Ponca City during this time and wrote
a letter to the citizens, asking them to support the sales tax
and save the mansion. The sales tax issue did pass, and the City
of Ponca City became the owner of the Marland Estate, including
the mansion and all the other buildings on the 30 acre complex.
The total purchase price was $1.4 million.
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NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing