Outside Oklahoma, there are very few people who are familiar with Ponca City, or the Marland family. Tiny, and relatively unknown, compared to Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Ponca City is a destination that engage you for an entire weekend, if you are open and curious.
One must-see is the Marland Mansion. A fabulous over-the-top estate that is a fraction of the original size, it was built on oil money (an estimated $80 million in today's money) and lost within a few years. It remains open for tours as they restore and document the history of those years.
One feature is a handball court, now closed, that still maintains its locker rooms as public restrooms.
Here is a peek inside.
A typical women's locker room for the wealthy, with high windows, tiled showers on the left and stalls on the right. The mirrored dresser was not original since there is an exit door behind it, but it lends a period flair.
The locker room is still in use as a restroom, and consequently has been updated with soap dispensers and other modern necessities, but the raised platforms for the toilets, (Watch your step) and tile work are vintage 1920s. I puzzled over whether the marble partitions are original, or whether they are part of a modern update. Given the very modern details that were evident throughout the house (uncommon for most people of the day, but within reach of the very, very rich) and a close look at the hardware (hinges, and handles for example) I imagine that they are originals.
