[Wikipedia Entry]
"Guthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.
"Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma. Guthrie is nationally significant because of its outstanding collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century commercial architecture. The Guthrie Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
"Victorian architecture provides a unique backdrop for Wild West and territorial-style entertainment, carriage tours, replica trolley cars, specialty shops, and art galleries. The Masonic Temple is the world's largest conservatory."
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The Historic District of Guthrie contains 1408 Contributing Buildings, including numerous brick and stone commercial buildings in the downtown area, and many beautiful brick and frame homes in the surrounding area. The District was placed on the National Register in 1974 (#74001664).
Walking the streets of Guthrie, you will feel like you have stepped back in time. Restoration has taken place in most all of the downtown buildings, and they have been restored to their original, classic Territorial splendor. Guthrie is a town proud of its history and the significance it has played in Oklahoma. It was originally established as four separate towns, since there was a restriction on towns being no more than 320 acres. A total of 1280 acres then, became what is now Guthrie.
There are 17 museums in Guthrie, last count, including
Oklahoma Territorial Museum
Frontier Drugstore Museum
Oklahoma Sports Museum
Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame
Capital Publishing Museum
The coordinates given above are for the Oklahoma Publishing Museum, located in a three-story former newspaper building which is on the National Register of Historic Places (#73001564).
Guthrie's Carnegie Library, constructed in 1901 is also on the Register, as is the Scottish Rite Temple, one of the largest in the world.
Visit Guthrie any time for a walk down her streets, enjoying the buildings, the museums, the many restaurants and antique stores. Stay in one of her many historic Bed and Breakfast facilities. Visit in mid-December for Guthrie's Territorial Christmas celebration, which is really something to see. The Pollard Theater at 120 W. Harrison offers live entertainment year-round. Guthrie is a wonderful step into the past.
For a detailed description of the buildings in this Historic District, the nomination application will give you hours of entertainment. (
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For information and a guide for your visit (
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