Price Tower Finds New Ownership

by tristan_marks | May 23, 2025 11:16 am

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After months of facing an uncertain future, Bartlesville, Okla.’s copper-clad Price Tower is finally under new ownership. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed skyscraper was purchased by McFarlin Building for $1.4 million earlier this month following a court-supervised bankruptcy process.

“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,” according to a statement from Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.[2]

Completed in 1956, Price Tower was originally commissioned by the H.C. Price Company as a corporate headquarters. Its distinctive copper-clad design and organic architectural philosophy made it a standout example of Wright’s vision for vertical living and would be his only realized skyscraper design.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and the building’s previous owner, Copper Tree Inc., fell into a dispute over the handling of certain Wright-designed items housed in the tower. The owner sold off several furnishings without proper authorization before declaring bankruptcy and evicting tenants. They then put building up for auction; however, no competing qualified bids were received, allowing McFarlin to acquire the property as the sole bidder.

“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 conservancy’s statement continues.

What remains of Wright’s collection will continue being housed in the tower. The conservancy also continues to maintain a preservation easement protecting the building from demolition or inappropriate alterations.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/news/daily-news/price-tower-purchase/

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