08/14/2026
Location: Shannonhouse Home (DEMOLISHED)
History: While I would love to know the original family that owned this home, we are going with the name of the last family to occupy it. According to the county assessor's office, this home was built sometime around 1911. Unfortunately, all of the Sanborn Maps that I could find for Oklahoma City did not include this portion of town to allow me to double-check that information. Without further information about its earlier occupants and not finding any maps or photos of the area, research on the beginning of its life is at a standstill, for now.
What I could do was work backwards. What I was able to confirm was that Mary Pruitt, a local beloved teacher, moved into this home in the early 1950s. Mary lived here for around a decade and often hosted events surrounding teaching and for her students at the home.
Sadly, she began experiencing quite a few health issues in the early 1960s. A few articles detail a surgery and then an additional surgery, which was not intended for her to be in the hospital for more than a few days. This wasn't what ended up happening, as she reportedly had a "long stay" where her students, friends, and family sent her many cards and flowers wishing her to get better.
I couldn't find any remaining information on what came of this, but the house was put up for sale in 1962. The two-story home sat on 3 1/2 acres at the time and was going for just $30,000. Joseph III and Edna Shannonhouse purchased the home in 1963 from Mary. The family lived here until 1970, when they sold the house to the neighboring Eastside Church of Christ.
Eastside Church of Christ then turned the home into a temporary childcare center. Each room had cubby holes with children's names above them. Toys were scattered across the floor, covered in dirt and grime. But it wasn't long after that the church decided to vacate the building, leaving it abandoned for many years, leaving the house badly deteriorated.
The church still owns the land to this day and obtained a permit to demolish the home in November 2012, carrying out the demolition in the following months. The address of this home was 1601 NE 36th St Oklahoma City, OK 73111, if you know any history of the home, please feel free to comment on this article!