Gambling? Nudists? What was going on behind the 8-foot fence in Edmond?

Steve Lackmeyer/The Oklahoman/August 26, 2024

EDMOND – If you know, you know. And among those who know about “the compound,” conclusive answers could never be found as to why the property at Edmond Road and Kelly Avenue was surrounded for decades with 8-foot-high fencing topped with barb wire. 

Part of the fencing finally came down this summer, but who put up fencing and why remains one of Edmond’s longest running mysteries. 

Richard McKown took down the fencing in July after buying it for the development of Kelly Hollow, a 250-unit apartment complex. He has disappointing news for those long curious about what was hidden behind the fencing. 

“There were just the ruins of a foundation of an old house that was there,” McKown said. “There were trees growing out from it. The house had been torn down for a long time.” 

Some say the fencing was put up around a house that once stood on the property to hide illegal gambling involving wealthy and powerful interests. Other rumors, some salacious, also are repeated by those who have been around long enough to remember when the fencing was originally built around the approximately 15-acre property.  “The rumor is that nudists lived there,” McKown said. “That’s my favorite rumor. I haven’t heard any others but that. And I’m going with that.” 

McKown rules out another rumor that the property was home to the ruins of the fabled Gandini’s Circus. That property is located further north along Kelly, just north of the Chateau Villas neighborhood.  “As far as we know, the circus had nothing to do with this property,” McKown said. 

Property records show the property was owned through the 1970s by the Spearman family, who moved to Edmond in 1917 and built Bronco Theater and the early-day home of Edmond Hospital. The building is now occupied by Othello’s Italian Restaurant.  The Crawfords sold the property in 1979 to Leslie Ray White and Theresa A. White, who then sold it to a limited liability company in 2013. Longtime broker and developer Mike Henderson, now retired, represented the buyer but declined to discuss the property with The Oklahoman. 

For years the only neighbors along Kelly Avenue were a scattering of farmhouses. Edmond Road Baptist, 1207 W Edmond Rd., opened in 1980 immediately west of the compound.  Rachel Munson, whose husband Chuck Munson is the church pastor, has been a member for more than 30 years dating back to childhood. The reason for the fencing and what was going on behind the barb wire forever remained a mystery to those at the church next door. “We’ve heard a bunch of rumors,” Munson said. “We never found out why it was put up. As long as I can remember, it’s been there. I’m glad it will go away.” 

Munson wonders if the fence was put up by a disgruntled owner unhappy with the city. Randall Shadid, a longtime attorney, remembers seeing the fencing being built shortly after he was elected to the Edmond City Council in 1979.  Edmond was a small town facing rapid growth at the time, jumping 108% from 16,633 in 1970 to 34,637 in 1980. Edmond is now the fifth largest city in Oklahoma with a population of 94,428 in the 2020 U.S. Census. 

A farmhouse stood in the center of the compound when the fencing went up. Its roofline could still be seen over the fencing until the house was torn down about the time it was sold to the investors in 2012.  “I remember when the fencing went up and everyone wondered why,” Shadid said. “I had clients try to buy it. My bet would be that it was someone disgruntled with the city. There was some discussion at the city about what to do about it, but I don’t remember anything being done.”  Shadid also heard the nudist rumor. “I could never substantiate that. I wasn’t able to get in if that was the case,” Shadid joked.  Something was going on behind the fencing. Trash cans could be seen being regularly placed at the curb of Edmond Road for pickup throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. 

David Chapman, an Edmond broker and former city councilman, said the property was long eyed by area developers who wanted to build housing for Edmond’s growing population.  “That piece of land has been curious to us for a long time,” Chapman said. “It’s been an interest for those of us who assemble land. It was untouchable. Nobody could buy it, nobody could list it, nobody knew what was going on.” 

The apartments are set to open in 2026 and will feature a pond, walking trails, pickleball courts and residences that will feature a mix of covered parking and private garages. 

McKown’s partner, Kara Lewallen, said the fencing will be torn down once the apartments are completed – but new decorative fencing will take its place. Gates will be included to provide pedestrian access to the church and the nearby Aldi grocery. 

“This will be a gated development,” Lewallen said. “But it will be open fencing. We want to make sure it’s an inviting community.”