Historical
Overholser Mansion
4/25/2003 & 8/1/2003
General Information
Investigators: Andy & Christy (PICO)
Ron & Becky (okcgc-prg)
Erik & Laura (okcgc)
Justin (sprg)
Mary (okcgc)
Staff & friends of Historical society & Mansion
Equipment used: Multiple stationary video cameras, personal audio recorders, digital cameras and various EMF meters
Special Thanks To News Channel 4
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Our group also helped out with the Overholser Mansion Ghost Tours conducted in October 2003. We helped raise over $1800.00 for the Mansion for upkeep & restoration. We did this with help from KFOR News Channel 4 and our good friend Heather Holeman (News Anchor) & crew! Here are some photos that were taken from that night!
Historical/Factual/Relevant Info:
When Henry Overholser, considered by many to be the “Father of Oklahoma City,” purchased three lots in the newly developed Classen’s Highland Park Addition in 1902, many people questioned why he and his wife Anna would build a home so far “out in the country.” After all, the heart of Oklahoma City’s business and social life was located over a mile to the south and the rail lines ran only to 13th street, two blocks south of where the land stood. The plots of land looked remarkably similar to the flat and treeless landscape that greeted Henry Overholser and Anna Murphy when they each arrived, separately, thirteen years prior shortly after the Run of 1889.
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Built in 1903, the Overholser is considered Oklahoma City's first mansion.
event:
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The house is a sermon on beauty. It is uplifting and ennobling as works of art are ever. The taste with which it has been decorated and is being furnished is flawless and shows a praiseworthy mastery of the subject, and the whole Overholser house is an incomparable example of the possibilities of beautiful homebuilding.
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The home remained a center of social life for decades--hosting weddings, dinners, and literary events. It was also the place of the birth of their only daughter, Henry Ione, in 1905. Throughout this time, the home remained in the hands of the Overholser family—after Henry died in 1915, his widow Anna continued to live in the house until her death in 1940. The house then passed to Henry Ione and her husband, David Jay Perry. The Perrys had no children, and when Henry Ione died in 1959, David Jay Perry was left as the sole heir to the mansion.
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Realizing the historic value of the Overholser Mansion, Perry sought to see it preserved as a living tribute to the 89’ers—the group of people who arrived during year following the Oklahoma Land Run.
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On June 22, 1970, the Overholser was officially listed onthe National Register of Historic Places. Less than two years later, on April 14, 1972, David Jay Perry achieved his goal of preserving the mansion by selling the house, including all of its contents, to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Built in 1903, the Overholser is considered Oklahoma City’s first mansion. The Queen Anne and Chateauesque architectural styles of the house were regarded as out of style and stood in stark contrast to the Mission, Craftsman, and Prairie styles of architecture that had become prominent of the time. However, when Henry and Anna opened the doors of their home to guests, their choice of style was not questioned. The following appeared in the February 28,1904 issue of The Daily Oklahoman, shortly after an opening
Investigation Report
Conclusion:
As with all base line investigations the data that is collected may give off the impression of being sparse, but in reality is the most important part of Investigating and Researching. Without this data there is no basis for any future findings. In the opinion of the Researchers of the OKC-PRG, a follow up investigation is not only prudent to finding some answers to Unknown Anomalies but truly desired. As the team thoroughly enjoyed this location and the Participants we had join us
Psychic Investigator’s Comments
This was a very interesting investigation for me as a lot of the psychic impressions I received were residual imprints left in the home from years past. I was able to get a few glimpses of the family in different stages of their lives and felt the strong emotions that were left throughout different parts of the home. I was able to connect with the original owners of the home as they are now in spirit. They loved their home in life as
much as they do in death and were very much concerned for its welfare.
There was also a close family member who was there in spirit with them. He wasn't to concerned with communicating with us though as it seemed his interests were more focused in the company that he said he was expecting and which also would be arriving soon. Later on after speaking with someone who was familiar with the history & past events of the old home, we were told that a lot of the residual psychic impressions that were received were actually documented and did occur in the past. I really enjoyed this investigation and feel that this old home has a lot to offer.
evidence collected
There were 5 EVPs that was recorded during this investigation and 0 sound clips.
There were no photos and no video clips.