This two-story brick home constructed in 1927 has Mediterranean features. More of a Moorish look, the style is expressed in the tiled roof, arched opening, and balanced arrangement of windows and doors. The unique design is matched by the unique couple that built the home, Ethelyn & Wilbur E. Hightower.

Wilbur was born in 1893 in Altus, old Greer County, a town founded by his father, Charles C. Hightower, a well-known banker, rancher, and merchant. Wilbur, or Billy as he was more commonly known, attended Altus High, then finished his education at Northwestern University, where he made second team All-American in both football and baseball. After touring the country with a Chautauqua group, he entered the OU School of Law in 1917. Ethelyn was born July 5, 1895, in Mississippi to Frank & Aida Johnson. Soon after, her family moved to Oklahoma City where Frank became president of the American National Bank and built the Neo-classical home at 439 NW 15th.

During World War I Wilbur joined the French army, served as an ambulance driver on the front, then joined the U.S. Army. While in uniform he met Ethelyn and they married in 1919. After the war, Wilbur worked for the bank and diversified into other investments, including the Hightower Building on Walker Avenue. Ethelyn and Wilbur first lived at 409 NW 21st where their two children, Frank and Phyllis, were born. When they moved into the house at 810 NW 15th, Frank was five and Phyllis was three. Sadly, Ethelyn died two years later in 1931 of pneumonia at age 35. In addition, Ethelyn’s father died suddenly of heart disease in 1935 at age 63. Wilbur and the children remained in the home until 1938. A few years later Ethelyn’s mother died suddenly of influenza in 1944 at age 68 while visiting grandson Frank in Washington, D.C. Tragically, Wilbur and Phyllis were killed in a plane crash in West Virginia in 1944 while on the way to be with Frank after Aida’s death.

From 1957 to 1978 the home was occupied by Roscoe “Ross” & Ruby Rizley. Ross was born in a combination dugout and sod house July 5th, 1892, in the Oklahoma Panhandle only two years after it was added to Oklahoma Territory. Ruby was born in Winchester, Kansas, in 1896 and her family moved to Beaver County, Oklahoma, that same year. Ross attended Beaver public schools and received his teacher’s certificate. He taught for two years in the rural schools of Beaver County. Ross earned a law degree from the Kansas City School of Law in 1915 and entered into private practice and politics in Beaver. Ross and Ruby married in 1916 and had seven children, four sons and three daughters. Their daughter, Hortense “Claudia” Bryan was an accomplished actress. Ross served a term as county attorney, a term in the state senate, and four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before losing the race for governor in 1938. He later received several appointments in the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower, including solicitor for the U.S. Post Office, assistant secretary of agriculture, and chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board.

He was inducted into the Oklahoma HaIl of Fame in 1955. In 1956 he was appointed U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. Ross died March 4, 1969, at age 76. Ruby died in 1978 at age 83.

In 1986 the home was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Dale Cottingham, who removed the tile roof, re-felted, and replaced broken tiles. They also repaired trim, painted, and installed new storm doors.  

Dan and Renee Jones purchased this house in 2003 and featured it on the 2006 Home Tour. It was their third Heritage Hills home since moving to the neighborhood in 1976. They decorated the home with warm, neutral colors that created a natural setting for their collection of art. Black granite and diamond-shaped metal tiles accented the green marble fireplace in the living room. They especially enjoyed the open floor plan of the study, entryway, living room and dining room. They modified the kitchen to accommodate their many guests by enlarging the center island, adding a large stainless steel professional range, pot rack and other appliances, including a wine cooler. Striking green marble countertops complemented their stained-glass windows. A game room and media room occupied the quarry-tiled space on the east side of the house.

They did extensive rearranging on the second floor combining four existing rooms to create their master suite, which included a bedroom, sitting room, his and hers walk-in dressing rooms and a master bath. The bath included a marble floor, marble shower walls, and granite-topped vanity. Two more bedrooms and two baths finished out the second floor. One bath contained the home’s original rounded-corner tub.

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