The home of the bishops and archbishops from 1939-1984 at the corner of N.W. 15 and Hudson Avenue in Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hills was referred to by the clergy (affectionately) as “the big house.” That moniker was appropriate because, as one priest so aptly stated, it was “22,000 square feet of opulence.”
How the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa acquired the property is itself fascinating. The original bishop’s residence still exists as the offices at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Oklahoma City. Built shortly after statehood, this house was the home of the first Bishop of Oklahoma, Theophile Meerschaert. His successor, Francis Clement Kelley, lived in this edifice until 1932 when the Great Depression sapped the diocese of the capital to maintain it.
To cut expenses, he moved into an apartment at Saint Anthony Hospital. Though far from ostentatious, it was a comfortable residence that he actually enjoyed.
With the coming of air-conditioning to the hospital, the brutal Oklahoma summers were a bit more tolerable. However, by 1939 Bishop Kelley longed for a place he could call his own. The previous residence had become a parochial school, so he began the search for a new bishop’s mansion.
As fate would have it, the mansion of the late William Hales became available. Hales had accumulated his fortune by selling mules and horses to the federal government, and built the house in 1916 for the staggering cost of $125,000. Twenty-five rooms and three floors (the third being the ballroom and servant’s quarters) were adorned with custom built furniture and a grand staircase that was said to be large enough “to drive a mule team through.”
Under the staircase, Hales had a pipe organ constructed where 3,000 pipes were housed. His daughter was married in 1923 and made her grand entrance down the staircase with the pipe organ blaring.
The Hales mansion was thought to be the finest in the city and Kelley wanted it. With the coming of World War II and the Great Depression about to come to an end, Bishop Kelley had the task of convincing the College of Consultors that the purchase was a wise move. With the passing of William Hales, the estate had an asking price of $75,000. Kelley realized that it was most likely worth four times that amount. The consultors visited the estate and unanimously voted to purchase the property with a $50,000 ceiling. The other critical caveat was that the home also would serve as the headquarters of the diocese and all the offices of the diocese would be contained there.
With those stipulations, the home was purchased for $50,000 with the generosity of Bishop Kelley’s close friend the oil magnate Frank Phillips. He initially had given $10,000, but is thought later to have assumed most of the expense.
The gem at 15th and Hudson remained the home of the bishops and archbishops until 1984. Archbishop Charles Salatka despised the mansion calling it “the tomb.” Since the diocesan offices had moved to a space on Classen Boulevard in the 1970s, there was some truth to his statement. The hub of the diocese was no longer the vibrant place of the past.
Many had hoped that the property could still be used as an event center, but the neighborhood association of Heritage Hills would have none of it. It must remain a single-family dwelling.
With the archbishop moving to a home built on the property of what is now the Catholic Pastoral Center, the grand edifice passed into history as far as the Catholic Church in Oklahoma was concerned. It still stands complete with historical marker reminding people of its once exalted state as the seat of the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Those who remember it remark that they miss the gatherings and lavish dinners in an age long past.