Stapleton Block, 114 North Division Street, Guthrie

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

site of much important business activity, including Guthrie's only "business college, and vas an integral part of the central "business district of the Capital period. Today it stands as part of the "sampler" of commercial architecture provided "by downtown Guthrie. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: X. Date of erection: 2. Architect: unknown 3. Original and subsequent owners: The following is a complete chain of title to lots 9, 10, 11, 12 block k9 East Guthrie, the property on which the structure now stands. Reference is to the Clerk's office, County of Logan, Oklahoma. Warranty Deed May l6s recorded Oct. 28, lot 9 Book 6 page ^7 Walker, H. R. to Eager, W. P. Trustee Deed February If, recorded February 26, lot 9 Book D page 26k Trustees to Eager, W.

P Trustee Deed February k, recorded February 23, lot 10 Book D page 252 Trustees to Hewitt, Thomas P. STAPLETON BLOCK HABS NO. OK-l6 (Page 2) Trustee Deed February k, recorded February 22, lot 11 Book D page 237 Trustees to Fergusen, William L. Trustee Deed February U, recorded April 7, lot 12 Book D page 568 Trustees to Philbrick, Eloise .Warranty Deed April h, recorded April 7, lot 12 Book 5 page 11 Philbrick, Eloise etmar to Cassidy, Alice Warranty Deed February 23, recorded February 23* lot 10 Book A page 376 Hewitt, Thomas P. to Stapleton, W. R. Warranty Deed February 26, recorded July 6, lots 9, 10 Book 5 page 293 Stapleton, W. R. and Maggie H. Stapleton to Stapleton, Alta Z. Warranty Deed February 23, recorded March 21, lot 11 Book 3 page 390 Fergusen, William L.

to Stapleton, Alta Z. Warranty Deed September 28, recorded September 29, lots 9, 10, 11 Book lU page 6 Stapleton, Alta Z. et al to Cassidy, Alice (the north 70' of 9, 10, 11) Warranty Deed September 28, recorded September 29, lot 12 Book Ik page 7 Cassidy, Alice etmar to Stapleton, Alta Z. STAPLETON BLOCK HABS No. OK-16 (Page 3) Warranty Deed and part wall contract October 6, recorded October 2k, lots 9, 10, 11, 12 Book 19 page 1 Stapleton, Alta etmar to Cassidy, Alice (one foot of property long in the middle of lots 9, 10, 11, 12) the two story brick and stone building is mentioned occupying the south TO'. Warranty Deed April 8, recorded April 9, lots 9, 10, 11, 12 Book 21 page 365 Stapleton, Alta Z. etmar to Stapleton, W. R.

(the south half of 9, 10, 11, 12) Warranty Deed March 1, recorded April 2k t lots 9, 10, 11, 12 Book 32 page 51 Stapleton, W. R. to Stapleton, Alta Z. Warranty Deed June 18, recorded June 21 lots 9, 10, 11, 12 Book 7^ page ^66 Stapleton, Alta Z. to Stapleton, William A. Warranty Deed October 26 recorded October 28, lots 9, 10, 11, 12 Book 110 page 30 Stapleton, William A. to Cooksey, B. D. or Edna L. k. Contractor, supplier s: a. Contractor: W. S. Cooper, brick contractor, Guthrie. b. Suppliers: Cooper owned the Guthrie Brick and Tile Co. The iron for the store front was provided by the Gainesville Iron Works, location unknown (from an iron plate in the facade). 5. Original plans and construction: No such information known to exist. STAPLETON BLOCK HABS No, OK-16(Page k) 6.

Alterations and additions: Since neither the precise arrangement of the interior nor the original plans are known, it is difficult to determine with certainty the extent of alteration of the building. According to the Sanborn maps of and the ground floor of 70' frontage was divided into three shops of equal size. The map of 19lU shows the two southern shops made into one, the north shop remaining intact. The partitions were of frame. More recently, the Top Dollar Store renovated the building to occupy the entire first floor. There are no clues to the condition of the second story through the years. Such walls as remain appear to be original, and there is no indication of walls having been removed.

Between and 191U a one story "brick addition was made at the rear (east wall) to the southern two sections. North of this there was added an exterior stair which no longer exists and the addition now extends the length of the building. Exterior changes have "been sliglrt. No fenestration has been changed, plate glass being simply painted over. The Sanborn Maps all indicate a metal cornice across the front which may be seen in a photo- graph now in the possession of Mr. Louis Cozby (Route 1, Crescent, Oklahoma) formerly of the Guthrie Daily Leader. None of the metal is extant, but the brick and stone elements of the cornice are still in place. B. Historical Events and Persons Connected with the Structure: 1.

At least a portion of the first floor has always been occupied by a grocery store, the remainder changing from printing to hardware or dealers in china. The second story was most often used as club rooms, first for the Elks, and then Moose. Prior to this, however, it was the home of the Capital City Business College, owned and operated by a Mr. Gaffney, a businessman of the town who also maintained a block of his own bearing his name at 212-lU W. Oklahoma Ave. Gaffney made a deal with the Board of Directors of the public library, which was to become the Carnegie Library, to provide space in the Stapleton Block for the library's use in return for free use of the library for his students.

The library consequently occupied a portion of the second floor of the building from to when it moved to permanent quarters in its own structure at ^02 E. Oklahoma Ave. C. Sources of Information: 1. Old views: a. Photograph in the possession of Louis Cozby, Route 1, Crescent, Oklahoma. 2.

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

STAPLETON BLOCK MBS No. OK-16 (Page 5) a. Deed Records, Office of the Clerk of Logan County. b. Guthrie City Directory,"I905. c. Minutes of the Board of Directors of Carnegie Library, d. Sanborn Maps 1. "Insurance Maps of Guthrie, Oklahoma Logan County, October Copyright by the Sanborn Map Co. (original complete). 2. "Insurance Maps of Guthrie, Oklahoma Logan County, October Copyright by the Sanborn Map Co. (original complete). 3. Likely sources not yet investigated: a. Files of Leader and Capital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Prepared by John D. Hnedak Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey 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. Hnedak (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).