In 1908, H. V. Foster of Foster Petroleum Company brought his wife, Marie,
and daughter, Ruth, from Chicago to Bartlesville to live at 821 Johnstone Avenue.
The house had been built by Colonel Matson. The Fosters lived in the house
until 1930 then sold it to Mr. Harold "Hal" Price with the HC Price Company.
Phillips Petroleum Company purchased the house from Price in 1948, and dismantled
it to make way for the Phillips Apartment Hotel.
In 1948, when the building plans were announced, Bartlesville, like many American
cities, faced a serious housing shortage. World War II ended and industry
was growing. The Company's fast growth and expansion brought more and more
people into Bartlesville. Designed especially to meet the large demand for
apartments for married couples without children and single employees, the
apartment hotel was to supplement the company's extensive family-type housing
project under construction in southwest Bartlesville, the Jane Phillips Addition.
The Hotel Phillips was opened as the Phillips Apartment
Hotel on June 1, 1950. It had twenty-eight five-room efficiency apartments,
eighty-four large four-room efficiency apartments, sixty-four smaller four-room
efficiencies, and twenty-eight hotel rooms. Fourteen color schemes were carried
out in the drapes, carpeting, lamps, upholstery, and pictures. No adjoining
rooms were alike in color schemes with duplication found only in opposite wings
and on different floors.
Rigby Slight, who had 30 years of experience in the hotel business, was hired
as the resident manager. Rent began at $75 a month or $6 a day. Phil Arnold,
who became Vice President of R&D for Phillips,
was the first occupant and rented a corner apartment on the seventh floor.
He also put in his own furniture and installed the first private telephone
in the building. Phillips employees were always given first consideration
for apartments.
Innovations for the time were air conditioning in
the summer months (especially nice since most Phillips offices at the time
were NOT air-conditioned), a self-service laundry in the basement, self-service
push-button elevators, streamlined kitchens, and a sun deck on the top of the
building. Also, each apartment was equipped with "forced draft ventilation" so cooking odors would not accumulate and cling to
rooms after meals. Garbage was collected daily from an opening in the hall where groceries and other
deliveries were made without entering the rooms. The lobby was considered a comfortable meeting place
for residents.
In 1980, The Phillips Apartment Hotel was converted to a hotel called Hotel
Phillips, with 156 luxury guestrooms and suites. A few permanent residents
remained, with the last to leave in 1991.
When Hotel Phillips opened as a hotel, each guest found a delicious apple in
his or her room. The Hotel still offers its guests apples and uses an apple
tree as its logo.
Hotel Phillips strived for excellence in guest services and satisfaction. Outstanding
service and personal attention still make Hotel Phillips world class. |
