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| ID Number |
SG100006630 |
| Historic Name |
LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL |
| Description of Significance |
THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL, LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN STILLWATER, PAYNE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL UNDER CRITERION C FOR ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AS AN EXAMPLE OF A TERRITORIAL-ERA, THREE-STORY, BRICK, COMMERICAL STYLE BUILDING WITH TWO DISTINGUISHING, UNUSUAL FEATURES. THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT FEATURE IS THE THIRD FLOOR WHICH WAS ADDED, OPERATED AND OWNED SEPARATELY BY THE FRONTIER LODGE NO. 6 ANCIENT FREE (A.F.) AND ACCEPTED MASONS (A.M.). WHILE IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A LOCAL MASON ORGANIZATION TO BUILD A BUILDING OR RENT SPACE IN AN UPPER FLOOR OF A DOWNTOWN BUILDING, IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR THE MASONS, OR REALLY ANY PARTY, TO INDEPENDENTLY BUILD AN UPPER FLOOR SEPARATE FROM THE LOWER FLOORS. THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT FEATURE THAT DISTINGUISHES THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL FROM OTHER BUILDINGS OF ITS TYPE AND PERIOD WAS THE INTERIOR UPPER FLOOR STAIR WITH AN ORIGINAL SIDE OPENING IN THE PARTY WALL THAT, AS AGREED BETWEEN THE OWNER OF THE LOWER TWO FLOORS OF THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL AND THE OWNER OF THE ADJOINING PIERCE BUILDING, ALLOWED INTERIOR ACCESS TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE PIERCE BUILDING. BOTH ARCHITECTURALLY DEFINING FEATURES WERE PART OF THE 1901 CONSTRUCTION OF THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL. CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL REGISTER GUIDANCE FOR PROPERTIES NOMINATED UNDER CRITERION C, THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE BUILDING CORRESPONDS TO ITS CONSTRUCTION IN 1901, WHICH IS WHEN THE BUILDING ACHIEVED ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. ALTHOUGH THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL LATER UNDERWENT A REAR ADDITION AND OTHER ALTERATIONS, THE ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING WAS REALIZED AT THE TIME OF ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION IN 1901 AND THE BUILDING RETAINS INTEGRITY TO THAT PERIOD, INCLUDING THE THIRD FLOOR; THE INTERIOR STAIRS THAT ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS OF THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL AND TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE SEPARATE ADJACENT PIERCE BUILDING THROUGH A SIMPLE ORIGINAL OPENING IN THE PARTY WALL LOCATED SLIGHTLY BELOW THE LYTTON BUILDING SECOND FLOOR; AND, THE FUNDAMENTAL CONFIGURATION OF THE STOREFRONT ESTABLISHED IN 1901 BY THE CAST IRON COLUMNS THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE. THE HYPHENATED NAME OF “LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL” IS USED IN THIS NOMINATION TO DISTINGUISH THE LOWER TWO FLOORS FROM THE THIRD FLOOR. FROM THE 1900S TO THE 1940S, THE MASONS CONSISTENTLY REFERRED TO THEIR PORTION OF THE BUILDING AS “MASONIC HALL” AS DOCUMENTED IN THE MEETING NOTES IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER. |
| Current Name |
LYTTON BUILDING |
| Address |
907-909 SOUTH MAIN STREET |
| City |
STILLWATER |
| County |
PAYNE |
| Lot |
9-10 |
| Block |
43 |
| Current Section |
23 |
| Township |
19N |
| Range |
2E |
| Type |
BUILDING |
| Historic Function |
COMMERCE/TRADE: SPECIALTY STORESOCIAL: MEETING HALL |
| Current Function |
VACANT |
| Area Signficance 1 |
ARCHITECTURE |
| Area Significance 2 |
|
| Date Prepared |
2020 |
| Year Built |
1901 |
| Original Site |
YES |
| Architect/Builder |
UNKNOWN |
| Architectural Style |
COMMERCIAL |
| Roof Material |
|
| Wall Material |
BRICK |
| Window Material |
ALUMINUM / WOOD |
| Door Material |
METAL |
| Decorative Details |
THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL IS A TERRITORIAL-ERA, RED BRICK, THREE-STORY, COMMERCIAL STYLE BUILDING LOCATED AT 907-909 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN STILLWATER, PAYNE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. THE BUILDING HAS A BRICK FOUNDATION AND A NON-HISTORIC, STANDING SEAM, METAL, FLAT ROOF. THE EXISTING ALUMINUM-FRAMED DOORS AND DISPLAY WINDOWS IN THE STOREFRONT WERE MODERNIZED PROBABLY IN THE 1970S BUT THE STOREFRONT MAINTAINS THE FULL-HEIGHT CAST IRON COLUMNS THAT DEFINE THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. ON THE REAR (EAST) ELEVATION, THERE ARE THREE FREIGHT OPENINGS NEAR THE CENTER OF THE WALL, ONE ABOVE THE OTHER. PRIOR TO 1986, THE SECOND FLOOR WINDOWS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING WERE FILLED WITH BRICK, ALTHOUGH THE WOOD, ONE-OVER-ONE, DOUBLE HUNG WINDOW FRAMES WITH WOOD MULTI-LIGHT TRANSOMS REMAIN STORED ON THE SECOND FLOOR (SEE PHOTOGRAPHS 0032A AND 0035). AROUND THE SAME TIME, THE MATCHING THIRD FLOOR WINDOWS WERE BOARDED. MANY OF THE THIRD FLOOR WOOD WINDOWS REMAIN IN PLACE, ALTHOUGH IN SOME CASES INCOMPLETE AND OVERALL IN POOR CONDITION (SEE PHOTOGRAPHS 0046-0048 AND 53). CRITICALLY, THE PATTERN OF THE OPENINGS REMAINS CLEARLY DEFINED DUE TO THE RETENTION OF THE ORIGINAL SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE OPENINGS, AS WELL AS THE HISTORIC HEADERS AND SILLS. DECORATIVE DETAILS ON THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL INCLUDE ROCK-FACED STONE COPING, SILLS, KEYSTONES AND IMPOSTS; ROUND AND SEGMENTAL ARCHED HEADER BRICK HEADERS; BRICK SILLS; GHOST SIGNS ON THE UPPER WALL OF BOTH SIDE ELEVATIONS; FRONT BRICK CORBEL TABLES; STEPPED PARAPETS; BRICK TABLES; AND, A STONE MASONIC TABLET WITH THE DATE OF CONSTRUCTION. PREVIOUSLY ON THE BACK OF THE BUILDING, THERE WAS A ONE-STORY, 30’ X 50’ ADDITION THAT WAS ADDED C. 1910 AND REMOVED AFTER 1999 DUE TO DAMAGE CAUSED BY ITS SEPARATE FAILING ROOF. OTHER ALTERATIONS INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF THE MEZZANINE ON THE INTERIOR FIRST FLOOR IN C. 1919 THAT CAUSED THE ADDITION OF A FREIGHT DOOR AT THAT LEVEL ON THE BACK ELEVATION; THE REORIENTATION OF THE MAIN ENTRY AND OTHER UPDATES TO THE STOREFRONT IN 1929; THE UPDATING OF THE INTERIOR IN 1946 AND 1960; THE C. 1970S WORK THAT INCLUDED REPLACEMENT OF THE LOWER STOREFRONT DISPLAY WINDOWS AND MAIN DOOR, THE BRICKING OF THE SECOND FLOOR WINDOWS AND THE BOARDING OF THE THIRD FLOOR WINDOWS; AND, THE RECENT INSTALLATION OF A FLAT, STANDING SEAM, METAL ROOF. BECAUSE THE DEFINING ORIGINAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUILDING FOR ITS TYPE AND PERIOD, CONSISTING OF THE SEPARATELY OWNED THIRD STORY AND THE INTERIOR STAIR THAT PROVIDED PASSAGE TO THE ADJACENT BUILDING, AND SOME STOREFRONT AND THIRD FLOOR WINDOW MATERIALS REMAIN IN PLACE, THE CHANGES TO THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL DO NOT DESTROY THE BUILDING’S ABILITY TO CONVEY ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. OVERALL, THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL RETAINS ITS INTEGRITY OF LOCATION, SETTING, DESIGN, MATERIALS, WORKMANSHIP, FEELING AND ASSOCIATION SUFFICIENTLY TO CONVEY ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AS A DISTINCTIVE EXAMPLE OF A THREE-STORY, TERRITORIAL ERA, COMMERCIAL STYLE, RED BRICK BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN STILLWATER THAT POSSESSED UNUSUAL ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES FOR ITS TYPE AND PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION. |
| Condition |
GOOD |
| Comments |
LISTED 06/07/2021 |
| Restricted |
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