The Marland Mansion

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

Did You Know?
The downspouts at the mansion, they are actually a remarkable decorative feature of the mansion.The mansion’s original drainage system included lead gutters, drainpipes, and water boxes. They were not simply functional plumbing—the pieces were elaborately decorated and incorporated the Marland family’s “M” initial and the date 1927.

08/25/2026

E.W. Marland held a nationwide contest for the Pioneer Woman Statue. 12 artists were in the heat, but only one came out on top.

See all 12 statues for yourself at the Marland Mansion!" y ity

08/20/2026

Did You Know?
The Mansion still has a few original planter boxes around the outside the building.

08/12/2026

Did You Know?
The little limestone boathouse was located at the edge of one of the estate lakes. It wasn't merely decorative: it was used for storing boats used on the lake. The building contained a large safe built into one of its interior walls. Even more interestingly, the boathouse was connected to the mansion by an underground tunnel.

That tunnel is one of the features that gives the estate some of its legendary "secret passage" character. It also makes practical sense for a wealthy household: servants could move between portions of the estate without having to cross the grounds in bad weather, and valuable items could be moved discreetly.

And those stairs down to the boathouse...

The long flight of stone steps descending toward the lake/boathouse should be understood as part of the original estate's elaborate landscaping. They weren't simply a modern path built to get visitors down to the water.

08/06/2026

Did You Know?
The hand-carved stone gargoyles perched on the exterior limestone walls of the E. W. Marland Mansion once served as fountains, sending streams of water from their mouths into the swimming pool below. Look closely and you can spot four gargoyles along the upper wall, just beneath the fencing.

Although the pool was later filled in, its outline remains visible in the lawn.

07/30/2026

Lydies Carriage-Does anyone know what happened to it or where it might be now?

07/22/2026

We are thrilled to have Aubrey as our Event Coordinator!

Meet Aubrey!
Aubrey was born and raised in Madison, Kansas, a close-knit community of approximately 700 residents. She moved to Oklahoma in 2014, living in Blackwell before relocating to Ponca City in 2018. She attended Northern Oklahoma College, where she earned an Associate of Science degree.

After graduating, Aubrey began her career with City Central as an Event Coordinator. She also earned her Property and Casualty insurance license and enjoyed assisting community members during tax season.

As the Marland Mansion Event Coordinator, Aubrey works closely with brides to help bring their wedding visions to life and ensure every detail runs smoothly. She schedules events, coordinates with vendors, oversees event logistics, and ensures that all state regulations and venue policies are followed, helping create seamless and memorable experiences for every guest.

Outside of work, Aubrey has a passion for arts and crafts, especially DIY projects that allow her creativity to shine. She also enjoys spending time with her three dogs—Tank, Hazel, and Jax—and taking them to the park.

When she's not planning events at Marland Mansion, Aubrey loves being outdoors and making the most of sunny Oklahoma days.

07/22/2026

Did You Know?
These carvings form the seven-animal frieze on the mansion’s East Terrace.
Taken together, they most likely evoke country-estate life, hunting, game, agriculture, and abundance—appropriate because E. W. Marland’s original 2,500-acre estate included a game preserve, and he was strongly associated with fox hunting, polo, and elaborate entertaining. The fox is especially connected with Marland: he introduced organized English-style fox hunting to the area and imported red foxes from Pennsylvania. Marland Mansion: Fox Hunts & Polo
The setting also supports that interpretation: the animals decorate a Renaissance-inspired architectural feature, resembling the ornamental “bestiaries” found on European palaces. Marland’s architect, John Duncan Forsyth, modeled the mansion partly on Florence’s Palazzo Davanzati.

The most defensible reading is: a decorative celebration of animals, the hunt, the land’s bounty, and Marland’s identity as a gentleman-estate owner.

07/16/2026

Did You Know?
Mr. Marland loved symbolism and the angel and satan are example of “good vs evil”. In the dining room panels at the top (carvings) most are angelic with wings turning into dragon heads but on the east wall has the face of a demon.

The Pan is interesting…it is a symbol from Greek mythology.
On the south terrace Pan's influence is seen in an ornate 1927 stone drainage system where roof runoff pours from the carved mouth of Pan. The half-man, half-goat god of the wild, forests, shepherds, and rustic music in Greek mythology. This is one of many artistic details E.W. Marland incorporated into the estate.

The Marland Mansion's use of Pan as a waterspout is consistent with classical European architecture, where mythological figures were often incorporated into fountains, gutters, and ornamental stonework as both decorative and symbolic elements.

According to Google.... In Greek mythology, Pan is:

*The god of the wild, shepherds, flocks, mountains, and rustic music.
*Usually depicted with the legs, horns, and ears of a goat and the upper body of a man.
*Famous for playing the pan flute (syrinx), an instrument named after the nymph Syrinx.
*Associated with nature, fertility, and the sudden fear or "panic" that travelers could experience in lonely wilderness—indeed, the English word "panic" derives from his name.