Price Tower: Chasing History, Restoration, and the Light Still Standing in Bartlesville

Some Chasing the Sun adventures begin on the open road.

Others begin in a meeting room.

Jim and I recently attended a museum-related meeting through my work, and we had the opportunity to hear Macy Snyder-Amatucci speak. She opened by talking about the restoration of the Mayo Hotel in Tulsa and how that project came about. As she shared that story, it became clear that restoring an old building is never just about repairing walls, windows, floors, or roofs.

It is about seeing value where others may only see problems.

It is about honoring what came before us.

It is about believing that some places still have a story worth telling.

Then Macy began talking about Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. That is when one statement really stayed with me.

She said there were many opportunities to walk away.

That sentence says a lot.

Because sometimes restoration gives you every reason to quit. There are obstacles, expenses, delays, damage, uncertainty, and probably more questions than answers. It would have been easy to decide the project was too much. Too complicated. Too risky. Too far gone.

But they did not walk away.

Now Brickhugger owns Price Tower and is in the process of restoring Frank Lloyd Wright’s only skyscraper. That alone makes the building significant, but after hearing Macy speak, I realized Price Tower is more than an architectural landmark. It is a story of commitment, history, community, and hope.

Price Tower stands in Bartlesville as one of Oklahoma’s most unique historic landmarks. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is known as his only completed skyscraper. That fact alone makes it special, not only to Oklahoma, but to the larger story of American architecture.

The building does not look like a typical office tower. It has a design that feels bold, creative, and different from anything around it. Wright’s work often reflected his belief that buildings should connect with their surroundings, and Price Tower does that in a way that still catches the eye today.

It rises above Bartlesville with a sense of purpose.

For decades, Price Tower has stood as part of the city’s identity. It has represented innovation, oil history, design, tourism, and the kind of architectural vision that makes people stop and look up. Many communities have historic buildings, but not every community has a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

That makes Price Tower worth protecting.

But protecting history is rarely simple.

When a building ages, it does not pause and wait for someone to come along with a perfect plan. Time keeps moving. Weather happens. Damage happens. Ownership changes. Money becomes an issue. Public interest rises and falls. Before long, a landmark can go from being celebrated to being at risk.

That is why restoration matters.

It is not just about saving an old building because it is old. It is about recognizing what would be lost if it disappeared.

One of the strongest parts of Macy’s talk was not just hearing what they planned to do with Price Tower. It was hearing the reality behind the work.

There were many opportunities to walk away.

That statement stuck with me because we usually see finished restorations after the hard work is complete. We see the polished floors, beautiful lighting, fresh paint, restored details, and grand reopening photos. What we do not always see are the difficult decisions made before any of that happens.

We do not see the inspections.

We do not see the water damage.

We do not see the financial risk.

We do not see the meetings, negotiations, repairs, paperwork, and long days of trying to figure out what comes next.

Restoration requires more than money. It requires patience, vision, and a willingness to believe that something damaged can still be meaningful.

That is what makes the Price Tower restoration so powerful. It would have been easier to let someone else deal with it. Easier to say the problems were too big. Easier to move on to something newer, simpler, and less complicated.

But some places deserve more than being abandoned.

Some places need someone willing to stay.

Price Tower matters to Bartlesville, but its importance reaches beyond the city limits.

For architecture lovers, it is a rare chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s vertical design. For Oklahoma travelers, it is a destination that adds depth to a road trip. For history lovers, it is a reminder of the state’s connection to oil, business, design, and innovation. For the community, it is part of Bartlesville’s identity.

When historic buildings are restored, they can bring new life to a downtown area. They can draw visitors, support local businesses, create event space, encourage tourism, and remind residents that their city has something worth being proud of.

That kind of impact matters.

Jim and I have learned through Chasing the Sun that some of the best stops are not always the biggest attractions. Sometimes they are the places with layers of history. Places where you can feel that people lived, worked, dreamed, built, struggled, and started again.

Price Tower is one of those places.

It is not just a building to photograph from the outside. It is a place connected to people, decisions, ambition, creativity, and now restoration. Its story is still being written, and that makes it even more meaningful.

As I thought about Price Tower after Macy’s talk, I kept coming back to the idea that restoration is really an act of hope.

It says, “This is still worth saving.”

It says, “The story is not over.”

It says, “What came before us still has value.”

That is true for buildings, but it is also true for people, families, communities, and even the journeys we take in life. We all have seasons where walking away seems easier. We all have moments where something feels too broken, too complicated, or too far gone.

But sometimes the most meaningful work begins when someone decides not to give up.

That is what Price Tower represents to me now.

Before hearing Macy speak, I knew Price Tower was important because of Frank Lloyd Wright. I knew it was architecturally significant. I knew it was a landmark.

But after hearing the restoration story, I saw it differently.

I saw it as a reminder that history needs caretakers.

Not just admirers.

Caretakers.

People who are willing to do the hard work so future generations can stand in those same places and understand why they mattered.

Chasing the Sun has never been only about pretty views, sunsets, or scenic roads. Those things are wonderful, and we love them. But the deeper part of the journey is discovering the stories we might have missed if we had stayed home.

Sometimes that story is found in a small-town museum.

Sometimes it is found in a roadside stop.

Sometimes it is found in a historic hotel, an old downtown, a restored building, or a tower rising above the Oklahoma prairie.

Price Tower is one of those stories.

It reminds us that the road is not just about where we go. It is about what we notice. It is about what we learn. It is about the people who choose to preserve something meaningful instead of letting it fade away.

Jim and I left that meeting with a greater appreciation for Price Tower and for the people working to bring it back to life. Macy’s words stayed with me because they were honest. There were many opportunities to walk away.

But they stayed.

And because they stayed, Price Tower has a chance to stand tall for another generation.

A little weathered.

A little tested.

But still reaching toward the light.

And that feels exactly like the kind of story worth chasing.

Architectural Digest. “Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper, Sold for $10 in 2023 and Has Been Embroiled in Controversy Ever Since.” Architectural Digest, 2024.

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “Price Tower.” Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, franklloydwright.org.

Price Tower Arts Center. “About.” Price Tower Arts Center, pricetower.org.

Price Tower Arts Center. “Price Tower.” Price Tower Arts Center, pricetower.org.

Public Radio Tulsa. “Developer Tackles Another Iconic Property: Price Tower.” Public Radio Tulsa, 10 Oct. 2025.

I would probably use these three strongest sources in BlogSmithAI:

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “Price Tower.” Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, franklloydwright.org.

Price Tower Arts Center. “About.” Price Tower Arts Center, pricetower.org.

Public Radio Tulsa. “Developer Tackles Another Iconic Property: Price Tower.” Public Radio Tulsa, 10 Oct. 2025.