This Victorian home was built in 1906 for John W. Noble, the president of Pioneer Telephone Company who brought phone service to the state. William A. Wells, architect of the home, was an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright.

A native of Illinois, Noble attended the University of Kansas, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1891. In 1897 Noble teamed with Perry businessman J.N. Coulter to build the first long distance telephone line from Perry to Pawnee. A year later they applied for a telephone exchange in Perry. After merging with competitors E.D. Nims and E.E. Westervelt, they organized the Arkansas Valley Telephone Company, with Noble in charge of operations. Major investors were E.D. Nims and David McKinstry.

All but Nims would eventually build homes in Heritage Hills. In 1904 the renamed Pioneer Telephone and Telegraph Company decided to move into the promising market of Oklahoma City, where the telephone system was controlled by the Missouri-Kansas Telephone Company, a subsidiary of AT&T. Under Noble’s direction the upstart communications firm succeeded all too well, so AT&T offered to merge their operations, the beginning of the Oklahoma Division of Southwestern Bell.

Despite the demands of guiding this rapid expansion, Noble found time to personally supervise construction of his new home on 15th Street. Outstanding features include the wide-open porch, the red tile roof, exposed rafter tails under the cornice, strong horizontal lines reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School of Architecture, and limestone trim, the same stone used to construct the first skyscraper in Oklahoma City, the Pioneer Building. Inside, Noble installed quarter-sawn white oak floors, wooden columns, pocket doors, earth-toned Frank Lloyd Wright style stained-glass windows, period light fixtures, and an innovative central vacuum system. Despite the death of his wife shortly after completing construction, Noble lived in the home until his death in 1950.

Between 1950 and 1961, several additions were made including a porch, a room on the east side, and a porte cochere. In 1961 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cummings purchased the home. They installed central heat and air, repointed the brick, and moved the driveway from Walker to 15th.

From 1969 to 1979, the home was occupied by Phyllis and Ronald Murray, who continued the restoration, finished the third floor, and repaired damage on the exterior. Ron was born November 23, 1938, in Oklahoma City. He graduated from Northwest Classen High School and the University of Oklahoma. At OU, he met Phyllis Holmes on a blind date. They married in the spring of 1960 and moved to Oklahoma City. Ron had a long banking career and volunteered in the community. They had two sons, John and William. The Murrays later opened the Harrison House Bed & Breakfast in Guthrie and the Montford Inn in Norman.  

In 1979 the home was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Carey, who continued the renovation. They constructed a wine cellar in the basement, removed walls and completely reconstructed the kitchen, and uncovered windows in the study. They also converted the study to a dining room with oak paneling, constructed oak bookshelves, and remodeled the former housekeeper's quarters on the second floor to a bedroom with bath and den. Outside, they painted the trim white, installed storm windows and doors, and constructed a redwood deck. The renovated kitchen and sunroom overlook the pool, pool house, play area, and outdoor summer kitchen.

The home has been featured on the Heritage Hills Home Tour in 1974 by Phyllis & Ron Murray and in 2000 by Carrie & Layne Goetzinger.

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