Ardmoreite Building (Gilbert Building) - Ardmore, OK - Art Deco - Art Nouveau on Waymarking.com

This building, originally built in 1930 by architect J.B. White, was called the Gilbert Building. It was renamed the Ardmoreite Building in 1966 when it became the home of The Daily Ardmoreite. Between 1930 and 1966 many businesses called this property home including Oklahoma Gas and Electric, the Masonic Lodge and the Ardmore Little Theater. The area used by the Little Theater on the ground floor can still be recognized as having a catwalk, balcony seating, stage frame and a huge Viking head. And until 1975, the paper’s press units were housed in the orchestra pit. The Ardmoreite decided to entomb the old press in concrete in the former orchestra pit rather than try to remove it.

The Masons used the fifth floor of the building for meetings and socializing. The area has distinct and beautiful architectural work on the upper floors. There was a snack shop and grill in the lobby in the early years that served hamburgers, sandwiches, chips, etc.

This building has been home to four radio stations, three dentists, four ranchers, six oil companies, two photography shops, three insurance companies, two doctors of medicine, three financial companies, a credit service, a law firm, a television station, a newspaper, an electric company, a cosmetics firm, a roofing company, a Masonic Temple and a dried meat manufacturer.

The building has three elevators, two of which are freight elevators that are still operated manually. The third elevator was automated in the early 1970's. The building’s basement area has been used for a storm shelter for the public when there is severe local weather.

The Ardmoreite sign on the southwest corner of the building was renovated in 1996 to include lighting and is very visible at night.

A 2011 document from the Ardmore Historic Preservation Commission notes this building's Art Deco style:

This building is currently known as the Ardmoreite Building. It serves as the home of Ardmore's newspaper, the Daily Ardmoreite. This five-story Art Deco building was one of Ardmore's first skyscrapers. Constructed in 1930, it was designed by J. B. White and served both as retail space and a Masonic Lodge. The blonde brick wall surface along the main facade is broken by pilasters running the full height of the building. Near the roof line are elaborate stone carvings of opened books and ringed Doric columns. Between these are stone zigzag decorations. As a particularly good local example of the Art Deco style, and for its association with a local fraternal organization, this property warrants further study under criteria A and C.

"Criteria A and C" are National Register criteria, and this building has been associated with events that have shaped Ardmore (A), and its Art Deco architecture is significant and worthy of preservation (C). The document in question is preserved offline in the event that it should be removed from the Ardmore Historic Preservation Commission's website.