Roy & Jennie Stafford built this English Country home in 1907. The Staffords had two daughters, ages 10 and 9. Roy’s father-in-law and two employees also lived in the home. It is a distinctive home design with a blend of Victorian era features in contemporary bungalow details. The deep, shaded porch spans the front of the house and creates an outdoor living space, welcoming visitors to enter through the gracefully lighted double front door. A spacious entryway, with the stairway rising up to the right, opens into the living room with a fireplace and adjacent sunroom.

Roy, a native of Iowa, came to Oklahoma City in 1900 and purchased the Oklahoma Publishing Company from Reverend Samuel Small. As editor, Stafford built the Daily Oklahoman into one of the states most widely read newspapers. In 1904 he took on three partners who provided capital for expansion, including Edward K. Gaylord, his business manager. In 1911, Roy sold his newspaper company to Gaylord, and he also sold the house.

Thirty years later, after it had changed hands twice, the home was sold to Mr. John Watson, a distributor for Ford and Ferguson tractors in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle who moved his family to Oklahoma City in 1939. Prior to buying the house on 15th, he received publicity as a distributor who brought in a 23-car load of tractors worth more than $1 million. In 1962, their daughter Louise Ann, moved into the house with her three children.

Joe and Maria Elena de Escribano Ruffin lived in the home in the late 1990s & early 2000s. They had four children, Maria Belen, Diana, Daniel, and Montserrat. The children attended Wilson Elementary and Classen School of Advanced Studies. The Ruffins filled the home with music and art and did a complete renovation of the kitchen.

Joe was born April 1, 1955, in Gotemba, Japan to Dr. Joseph B.and Vestina Provencio Ruffin. He graduated from Classen High School in 1973 and the University of Oklahoma in 1978. Joe served with the Peace Corps in Korea before earning a law degree at Oklahoma City University in 1987 and working as a criminal defense attorney. The oldest of six children, Joe grew up in the neighborhood at 400 NW 16th.

Marie Elena was born in Mexico City on March 4, 1960, to Antonio and Herlinda Sanchez de Escribano. Maria Elena was a graduate of the University of Mexico San Carlos Academy of Art. She taught as an artist and created numerous paintings and etchings. She raised her children to play music and they were all string majors at Classen SAS and some studied music and art in college. Maria Elena died on January 1, 2009, at age 48. Joe died March 23, 2014, at age 58.

Tom and Patricia Herskowitz moved into the home in the early 2000s with their three children and completed many renovations including the living room and entryway. On the second floor, they created a dormitory-style bathroom featuring a triple sink, three separate shower rooms, and a laundry room. The third floor included a mother-in-law suite of rooms and a game room. The Herskowitz family featured their home on the 2006 Home Tour.

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