Legal Battle Over Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower

The owner of the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed skyscraper, known as Price Tower, located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, has initiated legal action against a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the architect’s legacy. The lawsuit arises from the preservation group’s attempts to enforce an easement on the property, which the owner claims has hindered their ability to successfully market and sell the building.

Price Tower, a remarkable 19-story structure commissioned in 1952, has been on the market since August and is set to be auctioned on November 18. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, an organization that seeks to safeguard Wright’s architectural contributions, has filed liens against the current owner following the sale of certain Wright-designed furnishings from the building. The conservancy contends that these items are protected under an easement established in 2011 by a previous nonprofit that owned the property.

Copper Tree Group, the entity that acquired what experts regard as Wright’s only skyscraper last year, argues that the easement in question is no longer valid. As part of the lawsuit, which was lodged on Monday in the District Court of Washington County, Oklahoma, Copper Tree Group is seeking a judicial ruling to declare the liens null and void. Additionally, they are requesting an injunction to prevent the conservancy from obstructing the sale of the building or its furnishings, along with a claim for damages amounting to at least $75,000.

This court case marks yet another chapter in a series of challenges faced by Price Tower, originally constructed for the H.C. Price Company. While Frank Lloyd Wright designed several tall buildings, Price Tower is distinguished as his only skyscraper due to its height and the realization of his visionary concept of a skyscraper as a vertical street, integrating offices, residences, and retail spaces into a cohesive urban environment.