Gray Bros. Building - Guthrie, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 52.684 W 097° 25.535
14S E 642122 N 3971569
An ornate, decorative building designed by renowned Joseph Foucart.
Waymark Code: WMAAGY
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 12/13/2010
Views: 7
The building located at 101-103 W. Oklahoma Avenue in downtown Guthrie is a lovely, ornate two-story brick and sandstone building, constructed in 1890 and 1893, with a long, interesting history.
On the curb on the north side of the building an historical marker is erected by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in 1980. It reads:
"Wm. H. "Harry" Gray, a naturalized Canadian, homesteaded the lot bearing the west half of this building. He staked it April 22, 1889 and immediately relocated his grocery and wholesale business from Udall, Kansas. His brother, George, joined him in buying the corner lot, where they built in 1890 the elaborate brick and sandstone structure that commands the intersection.
"Gray Bros. continued the grocery business, adding queensware and feed, in a frame building, razing it and adding the west half of the present structure in 1903. It can be distinguished by slightly different spacing of the cornice "torches" and facade treatment.
"The west half housed Gray Bros. store followed by F.E. and J.F. Houghton's bank, grocery and subsequent varied retail establishments. W.H. Gray kept an office on the second floor, managing his executive holdings.
"The east half of the building originally housed the Bank of Indian Territory and later the Oklahoma State Bank. Guthrie's superintendent of schools had offices on the second floor in 1892 and by 1893, the town's first telephone exchange was also there.
"The property was leased in 1926 to Jelsma Abstract Company, which company continues operation in 1981. A barber shop was located in the basement until the mid 1970s. The building's Russian capped oriel, beveled corner, elaborate metal cornices, arched windows, and combined use of native sandstone and dark red brick suggest it was a Joseph Foucart design."
The building currently houses the Country Corner Antique business and Treasures and Books stores. The second floor appears to be vacant.
County: Logan County
Record Address::
101-103 W. Oklahoma
Guthrie, OK US
73044
Rate the Site: 
Date Erected: 1980
Sponsor (Who put it there): Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
Web site if available: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:1 - Must visit the site in person.
2 - New Photo required.
3 - Give some new insight to the marker/site.