rebbeca oklahoma city actually has some of the largest area of designated Historic Preservation areas of any city in the country. With those areas being
- Crown Heights
– Edgemere Park
– Jefferson Park
– Mesta Park /
- Heritage Hills
– Paseo
– Putnam Heights
– Shepherd

And a state preservation area of Lincoln terrace all housing areas built mostly in the teens and twenties.

Yes some of the historic fabric along the edges of those areas have been lost but for the most part the areas are mostly intact - as they were developed.

I'm sure you would note that for a city the size of Oklahoma City that is not common.

In addition there are several neighborhood conservation areas and historic overlays.

You can have Nichols Hills! In my opinion, Heritage Hills has the most elegant and beautiful homes in the OKC area. Mesta Park is #2.

rebbeca oklahoma city actually has some of the largest area of designated Historic Preservation areas of any city in the country. With those areas being
- Crown Heights
– Edgemere Park
– Jefferson Park
– Mesta Park /
- Heritage Hills
– Paseo
– Putnam Heights
– Shepherd

And a state preservation area of Lincoln terrace all housing areas built mostly in the teens and twenties.

Yes some of the historic fabric along the edges of those areas have been lost but for the most part the areas are mostly intact - as they were developed.

I'm sure you would note that for a city the size of Oklahoma City that is not common.

In addition there are several neighborhood conservation areas and historic overlays.
Good points, khook.

You can have Nichols Hills! In my opinion, Heritage Hills has the most elegant and beautiful homes in the OKC area. Mesta Park is #2.
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My son lives in Mesta Park and the entire neighborhood (his block anyway) work together on moving things...cleaning their yards...things like we used to do in the 50's and 60's.....rather astonishing.....

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My son lives in Mesta Park and the entire neighborhood (his block anyway) work together on moving things...cleaning their yards...things like we used to do in the 50's and 60's.....rather astonishing.....

No rent houses!! Few renters care about the home or its outside......

can't believe i didn't think to pull up the sanborn map... here's the relevant area for 1932. 3909 classen is highlighted. -M

http://magnvs.de/images/3909_classen.jpg

Same, here, Martin. But are you sure about the location? Wasn't the home closer to NW 39th than NW 38th? Maybe not, though, since (as I recall) the property sat on 3 lots, and maybe 2 were to the north.

Ha ha! How could I have doubted you, Martin? The above explanation is exactly right and you nailed it. Here is a crop from page 212 of the 1922-1949 Sanborn Map series, and showing some additional detail (e.g., "stucco") about the property.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/bungalows/sanborn_1922-1949_212_crop.jpg

I'll send an email to Becky.

reminds me a lot of this house in HH

http://www.postlets.com/create/photos/20090422/115152_159160_101_12.jpg

Here is a crop from page 212 of the 1922-1949 Sanborn Map series, and
showing some additional detail (e.g., "stucco") about the property.

How does one access the Sanborn Map series? This is an excellent reference
tool.

How does one access the Sanborn Map series? This is an excellent reference
tool.

I use the Oklahoma County Libraries database

How does one access the Sanborn Map series? This is an excellent reference
tool.
See Doug Dawgz Blog: Okc Street Map History (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/08/okc-street-map-history.html#sanborn1)

This was so interesting - All of you guys are just awsome little detectives. I don't have anything to ad just so much fun looking at some of the things you all do. And driving aroung and taking pictures. Too bad they destroy those great old homes in the name of progress. Loved it!

How does one access the Sanborn Map series? This is an excellent reference
tool.
How does one access the Sanborn Map series? This is an excellent reference
tool.

How does one access the Sanborn Map series? This is an excellent reference
tool.
Prunepicker, I gave you a link above which explains how ... here it is again ...

Doug Dawgz Blog: Okc Street Map History (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/08/okc-street-map-history.html#sanborn1)

This was so interesting - All of you guys are just awsome little detectives. I don't have anything to ad just so much fun looking at some of the things you all do. And driving aroung and taking pictures. Too bad they destroy those great old homes in the name of progress. Loved it!
Thanks, Tall Girl. It's fun!

Prunepicker, I gave you a link above which explains how... here it is again...

Doug Dawgz Blog: Okc Street Map History (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/08/okc-street-map-history.html#sanborn1)
I missed it! Thanks.

After a respite in the research on the Binkley house on Classen, I heard from Keith Binkley, the grandson of Dr. J.G. Binkley who owned the house for which we were searching, from 1930s until his death. His son, Keith's father, sold the house after tiring of trying to keep it up while the area was turning commercial. For awhile he rented it to students (maybe med students) and perhaps that was time from which Gen70's memories originate. Keith has lived in NC for many years and learned of El Nido from a PNC publication in the early 1990s. He was astonished to see his grandparents' house in NC. He visited El Nido and met Miss Gibbs. She took him on a tour of the house and he said it was the same as his grandparents except for some interior decor differences in style (El Nido has spanish tiles and heavy spanish style furnishings while Binkley home was more Arts and Crafts style). He recalls the large amount of land around the house. They kept chickens in a backyard coop and had large vegetable garden. At some point they sold a corner lot and another house was built on it. Keith found me after stumbling across this blog and was again surprised to learn of this interest and research that has been going on about his grandparents' house. He grew up in OKC and has continuing interest in its history and architecture. I thank you all again for your interest that has resulted in these contacts and information shared. Perhaps soon I will be able to share a better photo of the house that apparently was a true match with El Nido. The smoking gun. Becky

I met with Keith Binkley today. He shared some photos of his grandparent's house. One is the color original of the photocopy I had from Pres. NC. The OKC house had a green metal shingle roof that looked like tiles, rather than red on El Nido. They had a large vine growing up the walls on front corner. In the photocopy that is what obscured the view causing us to be unable to tell if it was stucco. Keith said it was stucco, he thinks about the same color as El Nido but maybe had been painted--it looks more yellow in the color photo he has. Also, the french doors that we could see on the porch were added by his grandfather to keep the snow out--older photos show the open arch that El Nido has. His cousin that he was visiting told him there had been another house like these in Monroe Louisiana but it no longer exists either. I will try to make the photos available here but might have to send them to Doug and let him manipulate them since I'm a poor computer operator. Keith and his aunt and cousin enjoyed perusing our discussions and search for their family home.
Thanks all, Becky

Great news, Becky. Can't wait to see the photos!

Doug, I can't wait to see the picture either. I live in a 60's neighborhood and have found two houses in the neighborhood that have twins. They are just a few miles away.

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2810/R142552855001yA.jpg

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2837/R141891130001vA.jpg

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2837/R142574045001yA.jpg

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2845/R142712125001yA.jpg

just in case it wasn't mentioned... you guys know there's a binkley st. in south okc, right? perhaps there's a connection. -M

I was raised on the south Side of OKC. The new home my parents bought (G.I. Loan 1952) was exactly like the one across the street. The entire neighborhood was two only floor plans. Every other house was plan A or B...It was quite amusing watching the former G.I.'s trying to out do the neighbors with his new conception of the old floor plans....all those houses are still there and occupied. Doug, you fascinate me with your abilities to find all this information.....Impressed that I know you.....

Funny how after WWII there were many, many cookie cutter homes built with
only two bedrooms, a bath, living room, kitchen, sorta-porch and a garage.
Nobody complained and countless families were raised in them.

Nowadaze, a home has to be completey unique (all have virtually the same
floor plan & only the facade is different) modern conveniences, two living
areas (of which only one is used) 2 or 3 1/2 bathes, 3 bedrooms and a two
car garage.

Back then returning GI's bought for the purpose of raising a family. Today
the pop culture buy to impress somebody. Nobody knows who.

:backtotop

If I ever build a house, I want it to look like the original one on this thread.

Funny how after WWII there were many, many cookie cutter homes built with
only two bedrooms, a bath, living room, kitchen, sorta-porch and a garage.
Nobody complained and countless families were raised in them.

Nowadaze, a home has to be completey unique (all have virtually the same
floor plan & only the facade is different) modern conveniences, two living
areas (of which only one is used) 2 or 3 1/2 bathes, 3 bedrooms and a two
car garage.

Back then returning GI's bought for the purpose of raising a family. Today
the pop culture buy to impress somebody. Nobody knows who.

:backtotop

If I ever build a house, I want it to look like the original one on this thread.

How about the "shotgun" homes built 2 on each lot to house generally oilfield workers? Talk about bare essentials! Many are still around!!!:backtotop

How about the "shotgun" homes built 2 on each lot to house generally oilfield
workers? Talk about bare essentials! Many are still around!!!:backtotop
Right! Guthrie has some great examples. They were so named because you
could shoot a shotgun completely through the house and go through every
room.

The layout would be, from the front door...
Living room
Kitchen
Bathroom
Bedroom

or a variation.

One of my grandfathers had a shotgun house. I promise that I could have thrown a rock thru the front door and out the back door. That house had more "Love" pass thru it than many, many high dollar homes put together.

I was raised on the south Side of OKC. The new home my parents bought (G.I. Loan 1952) was exactly like the one across the street. The entire neighborhood was two only floor plans. Every other house was plan A or B...It was quite amusing watching the former G.I.'s trying to out do the neighbors with his new conception of the old floor plans....all those houses are still there and occupied. Doug, you fascinate me with your abilities to find all this information.....Impressed that I know you.....

The block I live in is that way. Every other house is the exact floor plan