Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 1720 West Will Rogers Boulevard, Claremore

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OK-16. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is located on land acquired by Will Rogers in 191 lin Claremore, Oklahoma only a few miles from Rogers' childhood home in Oologah. His dream was to retire and build a home on the 20 acre site. However, his death in prevented this from happening. His wife and children donated the site to the State of Oklahoma for a memorial in his honor. It was completed in Designed by Tulsa architect John Duncan Forsythe, the ranch-style home was constructed out of locally quarried limestone. The home is surrounded by formal gardens in the Eclectic style, which includes a sunken garden and family tomb.

The memorial has served as a cultural and historical resource for the people of Oklahoma since its inception in History: The Will Rogers Memorial Museum was established to honor the actor and philanthropist Will Rogers. Rogers purchased the 20 acre site in with the intention of building a home to retire in overlooking the town of Claremore, Oklahoma. After his untimely death in his wife Betty Blake Rogers donated the property for a memorial to him. The Oklahoma State Legislature created a memorial commission to design the memorial. In Tulsa architect John Duncan Forsythe was appointed the general architect. By the end of with funds appropriated by the State of Oklahoma, the memorial was completed under the direction of contractor W. R. Grimshaw of Tulsa.

In a new wing was added to the site. Then, from to the entire museum underwent a $3 million renovation. The original ranch-style structure was built of fossilized earth-toned limestone quarried locally on land owned by Newton Foster. The 20 acre site, which Betty Blake Rogers helped design in the Eclectic style, overlooks the Verdigris Valley to the southwest. In a tomb and sunken garden was added to the site. A marble sarcophagus on a raised dais is located at the Southeast end of the sunken gardens. Directly below is a sealed room containing for members of the Rogers family. Will and son Fred were entombed there in Ironically, a few weeks after this event Betty died and was subsequently joined her husband and son.

Since that time, their son Jim and his wife Astrea, and their daughter Mary have been entombed at the burial site. Directly behind the sarcophagus, on a raised base is a bronze statue of Will Rogers facing west on his favorite horse holding his hat in his right hand. It was designed and built by Electra Waggoner. WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL MUSEUM HALS. OK-16 PAGE 2 Today, the square-foot Will Rogers Memorial Museum is home to a square-foot library and extensive archives of manuscripts, books, photographs, and personal papers of Rogers. Other personal objects commemorating his life are on display. The museum also is home to a sizable collection of fine art.

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OK-16. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Steve Eilers, October 3, N Hartford St Stillwater, OK steve. eilers (alokstate.edu Dr. Charles Leider Professor and Director of the Landscape Architecture Program Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department 360 AG Hall Stillwater, OK Office: charles.leiderfalokstate.edu WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL MUSEUM HALS. OK-16 PAGE 3 ^^*me ' * ,?a-.. * " "* ' " " - " -,_ ^ View of museum with Electra Waggoner statue of Will Rogers in foreground accessed May 7, Sunken garden and family tomb accessed May 7,