Oklahoma Publishing Company Building - Oklahoma City, OK - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

This Class Revival building is five-stories in height with a full basement. It was designed to accommodate additional stories, but those were never added. It was constructed of reinforced concrete, possibly the first building so built in Oklahoma City. The south elevation is distinctly divided into nine ranks, separated by full-height fluted columns, which end at the top of the 4th floor with capitals decorated with federal eagles. The columns continue through the 5th floor where they have terra cotta frieze art, with oval glass lights in the center, and end at the roof line where they divide the balustrade which encircles the roof line.

The building is faced with Batesville Marble from Arkansas. All windows were replaced with plate glass in 1973. Each floor has a triple window between each set of columns. The fifth floor windows have leaded star-patterns. Under each set of windows is a copper spandrel which extends between the flanking columns. No two of these spandrels is alike. A pair of cluster lights at the south side entrance has been well preserved.

There are two entrances on the west side, one with a clock above, and the other a Star and the year of construction.

The Daily Oklahoman newspaper began in 1894. It was purchased by Oklahoma Publishing Company in 1903 and this building was constructed. In 1915, the company purchased the Oklahoma City Times. Over the years, certain areas of the business were moved to adjacent buildings. E. K. Gaylord became President of the company in 1918 and held that position until his death in 1974 at the age of 101. This company was always ahead of its time. In 1921, they bought WKY, the first radio station west of the Mississippi River. In 1949, they acquired WKY-TV, the first TV station in Oklahoma. In 1954, they were the first independent TV station in the U.S. to broadcast in color. The company is currently located at 9000 N. Broadway. This building houses offices for numerous businesses.

Street address: 500 N. Broadway Oklahoma City, OK US 73102 County / Borough / Parish: Oklahoma County Year listed: 1978 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Commerce/Trade Current function: Commerce/Trade Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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