Hugh Johnson and his wife Mary built this 5,500 square foot home in 1921. Hugh and his brother, Frank, were raised in Mississippi, the sons of a lawyer turned newspaper publisher. The brothers entered the newspaper business as partners, then moved to Oklahoma City in 1897 to open an insurance agency. The partnership soon ended when Hugh moved to Chandler, where he purchased the Lincoln County State Bank.

In 1918 Hugh returned to Oklahoma City with a major interest in two banks, one of which was Edward Cooke’s State National. Again, he and Frank forged a partnership, merged their institutions, and created the First National Bank, the largest in the Tenth Federal Reserve District.

When Hugh and his wife Mary moved to Oklahoma City, they bought the two lots at 420 NW 14th for $6,500. At the time there were no homes between the Cooke Mansion on Hudson and Richard Vose’s Mission style masterpiece on Walker. Two years later, in September 1921, the Johnsons began work on the 5,500 square-foot Mediterranean home.

Like many homes in the neighborhood, the home suggests a classic architecture style but has some interesting twists. Its arched windows and doorway, the barrel tile, hipped roof, recessed entry door, and deep overhang all fit the classic Italian Renaissance style. Its different features include the Mission-type parapet and the decorative brickwork forming a Celtic trinity symbol.

The Johnsons built the home to reflect their active social life. The sweeping entry featuring the broad stairway encompasses the entire center of the house and opens to a walnut paneled dining room and a breakfast room, a formal sitting room, and a den. Able to hold fifteen oversized wardrobes, even the attic was built to accommodate the formal gowns, party dresses, and linens of Mary Johnson, who came to be known as Oklahoma’s Perle Mesta, the ‘hostess with the moistest”. After Hugh’s death in 1944, Mary remained in the home for more than 30 years.

The home was directly behind the Colcord Mansion on NW 13th Street. When this grand old mansion was demolished in 1965, Mary was outraged and joined preservation efforts to stop such wanton destruction of historic structures. Her love for her home, her city, and her neighborhood extended past her lifetime, for, at her death, she willed her home to Historical Preservation, Inc. whose directors in turn sold it to raise funds for historic preservation and protection.

Larry and Darlene Parman purchased the home after it was used as the Decorators’ Showhouse in 1979. A native of Missouri, Larry was active in real estate investment banking. Darlene, a native of Texas, was a trained dress designer.

They made needed repairs, cosmetically improved it throughout, and completely updated the kitchen using American walnut to match the home’s original woodwork. Thanks to their efforts, the house looked much the same in 1990 as it had seventy years earlier.

By the time the house was featured in the Heritage Hills Home Tour in 2008, Tiffany and Shannon Self had made several additional improvements. They remodeled the kitchen and an upstairs bedroom, creating extra storage space, a master bath, and sitting area. In addition, they landscaped the front and back yards and installed a pool with the sculptural focal point.

Current owners Tiffany and Todd Davis fell in love with the spacious Mediterranean home long before they bought it. They were drawn to the original red tile roof and brick, a large driveway space unusual for a historic home, and expansive green grassy areas conducive to safe outdoor living for their two children. Having lived in Mesta Park for over nine years before moving to this house in 2012, Todd and Tiffany have always enjoyed the unique characteristics of historic homes and are committed to retaining as much of the original design and function as possible.

When they updated their kitchen, they did so with respect to the home’s original time period. They added soapstone countertops and sink and also a marble subway tile backsplash. Original architectural elements such as marble fireplace surrounds, dentil crown molding, and the dining room’s rich walnut paneling are carefully preserved throughout the home, and their juxtaposition with contemporary wallpaper designs, light fixtures, and an eclectic blend of furniture and art creates a stylish welcoming ambience. Todd and Tiffany especially enjoy collecting art from various Oklahoma artists and they also have a collection of Art Deco era glassware Manhattan.

Perhaps Tiffany and Todd’s favorite feature of their home is the large front porch. They also prize the iron scrollwork on their front and back doors and the windows that surround them. Longtime fans of historic neighborhoods, they also enjoy the walking and biking proximity to Midtown and Downtown destinations.

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