One of Oklahoma City's most recognizable historic homes is looking for a new owner.

The Dolese Mansion, a sprawling estate in the Crown Heights neighborhood, is being offered through an online auction that concludes June 29, according to Barrett Bray, owner of Bray Auctions.

The property, spanning approximately 15,850 square feet and including 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a ballroom, and extensive outdoor entertaining spaces, has become one of the city's most talked-about real estate listings in recent weeks.

Speaking on the Oklahoma Memo Podcast, Bray said the home's history stretches back nearly a century and is closely tied to one of Oklahoma City's most prominent families.

"The Doleses have been there since the early 1930s," Bray said. "It was originally two homes right there on 38th and Shartel."

According to Bray, the neighboring properties were eventually combined into a single estate as the Dolese family expanded and remodeled the residence over several decades. Among its most unusual features is a ballroom beneath the home that includes a hydraulic opening system allowing guests to enter directly from outside.

"The first shot in that video, you can see there's a seam in the brick patio," Bray said. "That is an alligator jaw on a hydraulic system that opens up that would lead down a separate staircase so that guests coming into a party could go straight down to the ballroom."

The mansion's current owners purchased the property in the late 1990s and completed elements of the home's original design vision that had never been fully realized.

"They actually completed out the original vision for the home with the conservatory on the back, big grand staircase that combines them all," Bray said. "And it kind of finished something that was a hundred years in the making."

Bray said the property's significance extends beyond its size and amenities.

The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning future owners will preserve its historic exterior while retaining flexibility to update interior spaces.

"You don't feel like you're walking in and walking through a museum when you go through this hundred-year-old property," Bray said. "You feel like you're walking in a place that could actually be your home today."

Because of its historical significance, Bray said potential buyers could range from private homeowners to organizations seeking a public or institutional use for the property.

"You might have somebody who wants to move in and take advantage of the history of the property," he said. "You might have a group that wants to come in and turn this into an Oklahoma City museum talking about the history of the city."

Rather than listing the property traditionally, the owners chose an auction process that Bray said allows the market to determine the home's value.

"You don't have any true comparables in the market," Bray said. "How do you put a price on that? I don't know how to do that."

Bray described auctions as a transparent process that benefits both buyers and sellers.

"For the seller, they know that the general market is aware of this property and that it is going to bring what the value is today," he said. "On the opposite side of things, this is a fantastic opportunity for buyers as well."

The auction company verifies bidders and works with prospective buyers throughout the process to ensure serious participation, Bray said.

The current owners raised their three children in the home and are now preparing for a new stage of life.

"They put their stamp on the home," Bray said. "They've got their fingerprints on something that is historical to Oklahoma City. And now they're ready to move on and let somebody else take whatever the next step of the story looks like."

As the June 29 auction deadline approaches, Bray said interest in the property continues to grow.

"We've had this many people see it, this many people click through, this many people register, this many showings," he said. "The word has gotten out there."

Whether the mansion becomes another family's home, a cultural destination or something entirely unexpected, Bray believes the process will ultimately reveal what the market thinks one of Oklahoma City's most unique properties is worth.

"Our goal is always market value," he said. "That's part of the fun, is kind of seeing where it ends up."

Interested in owning this iconic mansion? Visit dolesemansion.com and register to bid.