BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — It’s a puzzle that may never be solved.
A commercial building in Bartlesville built around a house.
“We were looking through different rooms and all of a sudden we came across this and we were like, 'uh, what’s this?'” Chris Wilson, Director of Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority.
Wilson was assessing the building for the owner of 311 South Dewey Street when he noticed something that didn’t quite fit.
"He goes, 'Oh, well this is the house up here.' What house? What are you talking about? Sure enough, there’s a house with siding and windows and everything right on the inside of the building," Wilson said.
The house is not in any historical pictures, even dating back to the early 1900s.
"There’s nothing like this on the ground floor at all," Wilson said. "So it’s even more of a mystery."
The commercial building is filled with household items and furniture left there by tenants for decades. It houses what was once apartments on one side, the house on the other, and downstairs is just office space.
“So, we’re in a kitchen right now that looks to be the original kitchen of the house," Wilson said. "It’s got the cabinets, the sink and of course a window to the outside.”
It's a window that doesn’t see downtown Bartlesville, but faces the brick wall of the inside of commercial building.
As for why the building was built around the house, Wilson said there’s a lot of speculation.
“Could be that somebody didn’t want to sell their home so badly but the property value was much higher and so they decided, you know, you can keep your building and we’re just going to build around it," Wilson said.
However, Wilson said we may never know.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
