Film Exchange Historic District - 700-702 W. Sheridan - Oklahoma City, OK - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

This is a two-story brick building constructed in 1928 in the Commercial style. Once housing Columbia Pictures’ distribution office, it now has two tenants. At 702, Critical Mass Productions operates its video editing and post-production business. At 700, Joey’s Pizzaria is a booming attraction. Always busy, we can attest to its great food.

A few years ago, this building had fallen into disrepair. For the most part, there were outside walls and a partial roof. It has been refurbished and returned to its early condition. Inside Joey’s, exposed beams and piping is reminiscent of earlier days. A terrazzo floor has been installed, with the words Film Exchange 1929 in the flooring.

The north-facing facade is symmetrical, with a cast stone name block at the center reading “Film Exchange.” There are two storefronts, each having two display windows on the east and a single aluminum and glass door on the west. In the 702 occupancy, the door remains, but is no longer used as an entrance. At the center, between two brick columns, a single door which used to access the second floor only, now also accesses 702 on the west.

The second floor has a row of seven single 3 x 5 pane industrial metal windows on the north, with another seven on the east toward the front, with nine smaller windows along the remaining east wall. The storefronts are separated by brick columns with cast stone decorations and stone bases. Four display windows are located on the east side, toward the front. There are three cast stone belt courses across the facade. One is beneath the display windows, another between the second floor windows and the parapet, and a third which is continuous beneath the upper floor windows on the facade. The windows on the east side have individual stone sills. There is stone coping, and a stepped parapet with stone insets. Beneath the display windows is a base wall of black terra cotta.

The roof is flat and has two very large scoop-shaped skylights. Unconfirmed is the story that the building once housed the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture who used the building for grading cotton and needed the extra light. On the east side of the north wall, a neon sign is mounted on metal poles, protruding from the building. This is advertising for Joey’s Pizzaria.

This building is an example of the restoration being done in this district and the hope for its future. The Film Exchange building is Item 8 on the District nomination.

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Film Exchange Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link] Address: 700-702 W. Sheridan Oklahoma City, OK 73102 How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

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