The organization charged with preserving Frank Lloyd Wright’s remaining built works has put the owners of Price Tower on notice. On Thursday, Aug. 8, the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy filed legal claims against Green Copper Holdings and a mid-century design dealer, advising the parties to return items sold from Price Tower collection in Bartlesville, Okla.
While Green Copper Holdings owns the historic tower, the Conservancy maintains a preservation easement that restricts the sale of items of historical significance. Under the terms of the easement, the owner cannot sell easement-protected items without the Conservancy’s consent.A preservation easement is a binding legal arrangement between a property owner and a qualified easement-holding organization such as the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. It’s a powerful tool, providing a “higher level of legal protection and enforcement of preservation principles than any other method, including listing on the National Register of Historic Places, landmark status, historic district restrictions or local regulations,” the Conservancy states on its website.
The easement was donated to the Conservancy by the building’s previous owner, a non-profit organization called the Price Tower Arts Center (PTAC) in 2011. In 2023, PTAC sold the tower to Green Copper Holdings. The easement was recorded with the property deed. According to the Conservancy’s website, the new owners were informed of the easement and the Conservancy’s role in enforcing it. The easement is not affected by a change of ownership, the organization states.
Last April, local media reported that the Price Tower had sold items to a Dallas-based dealer, including a one-of-a-kind rolling directory board, architectural copper relief panels, an armchair, and copper tables and stools, all designed by Wright for the Price Tower. The organization discovered the items for sale online by a Dallas-based dealer.
According to local reports, the new owners of Price Tower have been embroiled in financial and legal troubles. On Friday, Aug. 9, it was reported that tower will close and tenants will be evicted.
Designed in 1952, Price Tower is Wright’s tallest habitable structure. It is designated a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
