Historic Tulsa Home Not Being Demolished

The Mount Birmingham Mansion at the corner of 28th and South Peoria is surrounded by construction equipment which has a lot of people wondering if it's almost 100-year history is ending.

The developer working on the home confirmed that it's not coming down, but, instead, more is going in.

A sprawling estate with a stucco frame and green tile roof - the home went up just prior to the great depression and has passed through different Tulsa families ever since.

But rest assured the architectural masterpiece isn't going anywhere according to developer John Cowen.

“This is gonna be a unique project because we are not just tearing down one house like you see all over town and cramming a great big house into a little lot," he said.

Instead, the plots of land around the Mount Birmingham Mansion will be developed into six separate homes named Sunset Terrace Estates. They'll be high end, with lots alone starting at $350,000.

Cowen believes the way they are developing the gated community will help increase property values.

"We hadn't done the project like this and the homeowner had just sold these lots one at a time to builders and you had six different houses that don't blend in with the neighborhood, are not behind the gated wall, I think you would have, you'd probably hurt the community, hurt the neighborhood if they did that,” he said.

Most people, including Cullen Koger with the Maple Ridge homeowners association, agreed.

"As long as the house stays I think that's the key thing. It's a beautiful home and I think now it'll be able to be showcased a little more, it won't be hidden behind trees,” Koger said.

With the new Gathering Place going in the area, new homeowners are welcome as well.

"It is a wonderful walking neighborhood, it's a really close, you know, community and to have more neighbors and more friends, I think that is just a benefit to Maple Ridge," said Koger.

As for interest in the plots of land, Cowen said he's had a lot and we should expect to see construction going up in the next few months.