Gray Brothers Block, 101 West Oklahoma Avenue, Guthrie

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS OKLA,42-GUTH,1B-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This structure is one of the finest remaining examples of stylish commercial buildings of the territorial period in Oklahoma. It was built for and occupied by important pioneer-entrepeneurs, and was an integral part of the commercial sector of Guthrie in both a business and a visual sense. The first tenant was the Bank of Indian Territory, among the earliest of the important territorial banks, no longer in existence. PART I. HISTORICAL !MORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: 2. Architect: Unknown (possibly Joseph Foucart). 3. Original and subsequent owners: The following is a complete chain of title from to the present, to lots 1 and 2, block 57, Guthrie proper, the land on which the structure now stands.

Reference is to the Clerk's Office, County of Logan, Oklahoma: Trustee deed October 24, recorded October 24, Book A page 1, Trustees for the Sbwnsite of Guthrie to William H. Gray, et al Warranty deed August 10, recorded September 15, Book 31 page George Gray and wife to William H. Gray. Warranty deed November 5, recorded December 19, Book 67 page Lymon J. Gray and wife to Mary Gray (an undivided 1/3 interest) GRAY BROTHERS BLOCK HABS No. OK-12 (Page 2) Warranty deed March 27, recorded March 30, Book 83 page Mary Gray (a widow) and Edna R. Gray (a single woman) to Charles A. Fraser (received the northern 90' of the lots, containing the building) Sheriffs deed March 11, recorded March 16, Book 106 page Sheriff of Logan County to Charles E.

Fraser (Note: Resolution of action by Bernice Fraser Cambill against Charles E. Fraser for partition of jointly owned property, including the northern 90' of lots 1 & 2, block 57, Guthrie proper. Owing to the difficulty of dividing the above, action was adjudged in favor of Charles, cash consideration to be made by him to Bernice in lieu of partition.) Quit claim deed March 11, recorded March 16, Book 106 page Bernice Fraser Cambill to Charles E. Fraser Warranty deed August 4, recorded July 24, Book 109 page Charles E. Fraser and wife to Fred A. Holman Warranty deed August 4, recorded August 5, Book 113 page Fred A. Holjnan and Lucille Holman, wife to C. J. Nelson and Minta Ann Nelson, his wife Warranty deed December 23, recorded June 9, Book 477 page C. J.

Nelson, a widower, to Arthur Benson Nelson and Curtis James Nelson Warranty deed March 29, recorded May 16, Book 611 page Arthur B. Nelson and wife to Curtis James Nelson 4. Builders, suppliers: a. Builder: Unknown. b. Suppliers: Unknown. GRAY BROTHER BIOCK HABS No. OK-12 (Page 3) 5. Original plans and construction: There is no known record of the original design for the building. However, many of the early brick and stone blocks were described prior to or during construction in the Oklahoma Daily State Capital. Tne files of the newspaper are missing from to from the Newspaper Library of the Oklahoma Historical Society but there is hope that a description may be found in the files of one of the other leading dailies of the early Territory.

It is known, however, that the Gray Brothers Block of consisted only of the eastern half of the present structure. The western portion was completed in The original structure at the corner of Division and Oklahoma was (according to Portrait and Biographical Record p. 25 x 80 feet in plan, the completed building 50 x 140 feet in plan. The extra sixty feet of length was devoted to secondary spaces for storage and services, and is not immediately recognizable as contiguous with the major portion of the building, having no ornamentation which would make it consistent with that structure. 6.

Alterations and additions: The second half of the building as described above may properly be called an addition, although it is by no means obvious from the external appearance of the structure that this is so. The two halves match stylistically, but for the fact that the rhythmic elements of the cornice are more widely spaced in the addition, and the new fenestration is narrower and more densely placed. There is a noticeable vertical gap in the brick work from the uppermost lintel to the tin cornice twenty feet from the west edge of the building, and a larger gap at the rear in the center of the south wall. B. Historical Events and Persons Connected with the Structure: 1. William Henry Gray and George Gray.

Natives of Manistee, Michigan, they came to Guthrie on the run of April 22, after running a grocery business in Udall, Kansas, which was established in They carried on a wholesale grocery and Queensware business, under the name of Gray Brothers, in a frame building on Oklahoma Avenue near Division, which they expanded to the corner (southwest) of the intersection in July of ("...the Gray Brothers are building a large addition to their store on Oklahoma Avenue to meet the demands of their increasing trade." Daily State Capital, July 21, p. 3, col. 1). They built the first half of the present Gray Brothers Block in completed it in the year in which they dissolved the mercantile firm and went into real estate business. GRAY BROTHERS BIDCK HABS No. OK-12 (Page 4) 2.

The remaining associations are in the nature of tenants of the building. It seems to have established itself early as a center of finance and law. A perusal of the city directories yields the following results: Pickard, J. E., attorney, 11 & 12 Hainer, B. T., attorney Bank of Indian Territory, main business room Capital Barber shop, basement (there has always been, and still is, a barber in the basement) Ball, J. E., loans, rm. 14 Hagan and Paine, loans, 18, 19, 20 to Bank of Indian Territory and similar list of lawyers Bank of Indian Territory C. B. Mitchell, attorney, rm. 6 L. 0. Lytle, attorney, rm. 19 Jones & Lytle, attornies, rm. 3 0. R. Fegan, attorney, rm. 7 C. A. Blair, attorney, rm. 5 E. P.

Shinn, loans Peter Jelsma, real estate and loans Pictured on a birds's eye view of Guthrie of is the building with the caption, "Rabbins and Thomas Real Estate, rooms 1 & 2." The Bank of the Indian Territory was the most substantial and enduring of the tenants, having occupied the corner since its founding in and remaining through the Territiorial period. The first tenant of the new building, its President and Vice President, U. C. Guss and Henry Asp respectively, were prominent and powerful businessmen and political figures. It had a capital of in (Souvenir, p. It was replaced by the Oklahoma State Bank early in the Century of which the Gray Bros, were directors (Review, p. C. Sources of Information: 1. Old views: a.

There are several old photographs, primarily street scenes, taken in the by the local photographers Swearinger, Armantrout, and Prettyman. Prints of these are available for view and reproduction at both the Library of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, and the Western History Archives. Encaptioned "Election Day, June 4, the original frame Gray Bros, store is visible. GRAY BROTHERS BIOCK HABS No. OK-12 (Page 5) b. Two bird's eye views of Guthrie, one dated in the collection of the Oklahoma Territorial Museum, Guthrie, and one encaptioned, "Guthrie, Oklahoma's Capital and largest city, age years," in the collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, are embellished with identical engravings of the eastern portion of the building. c. Mr.

Ivan Ridge, who runs the barber shop in the basement which was established by his father before owns an interior photograph of the shop from about that date. 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS OKLA,42-GUTH,1B-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

a. Primary and unpublished sources: 1. Deed records, Office of the Clerk of Logan County. 2. Guthrie City Directories: a. b. c. d. 3. Sanborn maps: a- "Insurance Maps of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Logan County, August Copyright by the Sanborn Map Co. (reproduction, in part). b. "Insurance Maps of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Logan County, September Copyright by the Sanborn Map Co. (reproduction, in part). c. "Insurance Maps of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Logan County, October Copyright by the Sanborn Map Co. (original, complete). d. "Insurance Maps of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Logan County, July Copyright by the Sanborn Map Co. (original, complete). GRAY BROTHERS BIOCK HABS No. OK-12 (Page 6) b. Secondary and published sources: 1. Portrait and Biographical Record of Oklahoma.

"Commemorating the achievements of citizens who have contributed to the progress of Oklahoma and the development of its resources." Chicago: Chapman Publishing Co., p. 2 - Souvenir, Published by the State Capital Publishing Company. A souvenir pamphlet of the Saint Louis World's Fair, p. 11. 3. Review, Tne Capital City of Oklahoma: Promotional pamphlet. No publication data given; C. E. Weaner Series, Progressive Cities. 3. Likely sources not yet investigated: a. The records of Joseph Foucart, architect; not yet located. Prepared by John Hhedak Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION This two story brick and sandstone structure has a tower demonstratively placed over its corner entrance.

An elaborate cornice is interrupted quite regularly by small turret-like forms. All first story windows in the original portion of the building have sandstone arch surrounds. The second story windows are all double hung sashes with sandstone sills and lintels, above which are small decorated recessed brick panels. For additional information, see Town of Guthrie (OK-10). PART III. PROJECT INFORMATION This project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Historical Society, which provided funds. Under the direction of John Poppeliers, Chief of HABS, the project was completed during the summer of at the Historic American Buildings Survey field office, Guthrie, Oklahoma, by Prof. John C Haggard (Syracuse University), Project Supervisor; John D.

Hhedak (Cornell University), Project Historian; William E. Barrett, Project Photographer; and student architects: Barry (Iowa State University) , John Robbins (University of Virginia), Julian Smith (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Howard Takenaka (University of Oregon).