Harwelden (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

 museum, place with historical importance, estate (manor / mansion land), mansion / manor house / villa, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, art museum / art gallery

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Earl Palmer Harwell and his wife Mary Keesee Harwell moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma the soon to be designated “Oil Capital of the World” in 1906 from Ovilla, Texas. They arrived one year after the Ida Glen oil well produced its first true gusher on November 22, 1905. Guided by Robert McFarlin, Mr. Harwell became a partner in the McMan Oil Company. It was thought to be the world’s largest independent oil company of its time. In 1916, McMan Oil Company sold their holdings for the sum of $55 million, now worth well over 10 times that amount.
The Harwells lived quietly but generously. One evening in 1918, Mr. Harwell and three friends were walking downtown when they came upon a small boy sleeping in a shipping crate in an alleyway. The men rented a small house and hired a woman to care for the child. This was the birth of the Tulsa Boys Home. The Harwells’ best-known philanthropic donations were received by the University of Tulsa. Included in the endowments were construction funds for the Harwell Gymnasium and three city blocks of land that now form the main university campus. Among many other community generosities, the Harwells donated greatly to the First Presbyterian Church and Mr. Harwell was board director for the YMCA.
In 1923, the Harwells chose to build their house in the Maple Ridge neighborhood among a stretch of homes known as Black Gold Row. The residence, located at 2210 South Main, would reflect the magic that oil had brought to Tulsa and the Harwell’s family. The stately mansion was said to be the only Collegiate Gothic-English Tudor Style home in Tulsa. Its gothic arches were meant to point toward the heavens, aspiring one to reach for the stars and beyond. The Harwell Mansion created a sense of permanence and, to this day, still commands this same admiration. The mansion may appear massive on the outside but has always provided welcoming, warmth on the interior. The home originally had thirty rooms on four levels, seven fireplaces, Italian and Indiana marble, hidden safes, pocket doors, gargoyles on the roof, “Palm” Plaster ceilings, buzzers under the dining room and breakfast room tables, a hidden tunnel in the boiler room, a carved Scarlet Pimpernal, Coat-of-Arms in stained glass windows, and liberally adorned in decorative motifs.
Along with Mrs. Harwell and Margo Harwell Owens (daughter), the community mourned when Earl Palmer Harwell passed away at the age of 67. Continuing the couple’s altruistic endeavors, Mary Harwell stayed committed to bettering Tulsa and especially loved to nurture the arts community. Not unlike Mr. Harwell starting the Tulsa Boys Home; she decided to help further the mission of a small, fledgling non-profit arts organization by bequeathing the mansion upon her death. In January of 1967, the home was given to the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa. In honor of the Harwell family, the Welsh name “Harwelden,” meaning “House of the Harwells,” was given to the mansion by the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa Trust. The Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa is now considered the resource center for all arts in Tulsa. Harwelden Mansion has provided a home to many arts organizations including the Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Philharmonic, and Tulsa Ballet. The mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and over five arts organizations called it home.
In 2018, the Harwelden Mansion was privately bought by Teresa Knox alongside her husband Ivan Acosta. It was purchased for $2.9 million dollars and was renovated in 2019. Designer Showcase was held here in 2019 that showcased 47 different designers throughout the house. The Harwelden Mansion is now a luxury Bed & Breakfast and an event venue. It has space inside for up to 125 guests and outside for up to 400 guests. The Mansion is used for weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, birthday parties, etc. Email harwelden@gmail.com for more info.