 The one time home of Oklahoma's 10th. Governor, Ernest
Whitworth Marland, the magnificent "Palace on the Prairie" was
his dream home. As a boy, Marland had dreamed of having a castle
surrounded by a moat, and the mansion with its swimming pool and lakes was the realization of
that dream. Constructed from 1925 to 1928 at an estimated cost of $5.5
million, the Marland
Mansion was modeled after the Davanzatti Palace in Florence,
Italy. Master architect John Duncan Forsyth, along with artists,
decorators, and sculptors of international reputation combined their
talents to create the resplendent showcase. Built of locally quarried
limestone, the mansion contains approximately 43,561 feet distributed over
three floors. There are 55 rooms, including 12 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, 1
elevator, and 1 dumbwaiter.
The original 2500 acre estate included 5 lakes, a game refuge, a
nine-hole golf course, polo grounds, stables, kennels, gate houses, boat
houses, a lodge, garages, an art studio, administration building, and an Olympic-sized
swimming pool, in addition to the mansion and guest house. On the exterior
of the mansion, unique corbels support an ornate balcony in which the
Latin inscription "A man's home is his castle" is carved
in stone. The mansion housed Marland and his wife, Lydie, for a short
time. As his fortunes waned, they moved from the mansion to the guest
house and only opened the mansion for special occasions. Six months
prior to his death, Marland sold
the mansion and surrounding buildings to the Carmelite Fathers. After
seven years they sold it to the Sisters of St. Felix. Renaming the estate
Assumption Villa, the sisters added Angela Hall, a chapel, dormitory and
administration building. In 1975, the City of Ponca City, with help from
Continental Oil Company, purchased the estate to preserve the heritage of
the Marland era and opened the Mansion to the public.
(Now
lets leave the parking lot and return to the main gates. Turn right on
Monument and continue north 4 blocks to Hartford Avenue. Turn left on
Hartford and go to 14th. street. Turn left on 14th. Street and taking the
outside lane, go to Whitworth Avenue. Turn right on Whitworth - go to the
the fourth house on the right.....)
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NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing