800 Sugar Maple Dr, Ponca City, OK 74604

This house was designed for the Bosworths in 1952. He was the Manager of Conoco Operations in Ponca City. The architects were Lawrence and Associates of Tulsa who designed 4 other houses in the neighborhood that had been subdivided from the Sisters of St. Francis property, that had originally been part of the Marland Estate containing the Marland Mansion . The style was "organic architecture," first conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright and the original house had a flat roof, as did 805 Sugar Maple and 724 Sugar Maple. With organic architecture there are several of Wright's groundbreaking features. Entry foyers were common and had low ceilings which beckoned into large, splendid rooms of much light and space. Glass walls and gardens made the inside seem to blend with the outside. Patios, terraces and decks promoted both inside and outside living. Houses were often one story to identify with the land. Colors were earth tones and natural materials (wood, stone, cork, grasscloth walls, bamboo) were used for the same reason. Wide overhangs and cantilevered terraces often gave organic houses the appearance of stacked boxes, but the practical side was the ability of people to walk out of the rain under the overhangs. Organic architecture also heralded the "open concept" of interiors that displaced much wasted space of hallways and small enclosed rooms. Wright also loved furniture that was designed for the particular house, almost as sculptural elements. Examples of organic style are the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Falling Water near Pittsburgh, and Talisan in Wisconsin. And so many of those elements are found in this home. A cut limestone fireplace and window wall is in the living room and atrium. Any kitchen in 1952 was more of a work room than it is today and so it is closed off from the dining room, but the open concept rules the public spaces. Cantilevered shelving in the living room, stone luxury vinyl floors (originally cork), birch walls and cabinets in the den and kitchen, large overhangs, limestone pavers carrying over from patio to atrium, and a doorway garden that makes a vista when the front door is opened, are all classic organic style. There are some 1950s quirks. A different style called "atomic" used gaudy colors for kitchens and bathrooms. It was all the vogue and many owners wanted these which clashed with organic. This house originally had hot pink kitchen countertops, and one bathroom in turquoise and pink fixtures and tiles. They have been changed by the current owners to reflect more of the organic style intended by the architects. The main guest bathroom is art deco, a 1930s style that imitated the glamour and luxury of Hollywood. The back bedroom has a craft room addition. The kitchen has been remodeled to accommodate modern appliances. Heat and air was run overhead in 2003 when a sloped roof was put on. Wright's concept of flat roofs and vents laid in the concrete pad are oft-criticized as blunders-roofs ponded and vents rusted and filled with water. So the new mechanicals are a needed improvement. New electrical service and many grounded outlets also were brought up to date. In the back yard, a rare zoysia, Emerald, has been propagated. It is considered one of the finest grasses grown but is expensive to sod since it is seedless cannot be easily grown by sod companies. (requires more watering than most zoysias) The oak trees are whiteoak and hickoryoak originally planted to form the fox-hunting grounds by E.W. Marland on his estate. A sole sugar maple, namesake of the street, is found on the corner.