Hillerman Map Project
Photographs of Oklahoma City
21412.M71.1, Z.P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection, OHS (map #2O)
Elks Lodge Building (Key Building, Oklahoma Natural Gas Building)
Address: 401 North Harvey Avenue
View: Northwest
Date: September 1944
Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance (Blackburn, Henderson and Thurman 59)
Architect: Sorey, Hill and Sorey (Blackburn, Henderson and Thurman 59)
Built: 1926 (Blackburn, Henderson and Thurman 59)
"The cultural and social climate of the 1920s encouraged participation in fraternal organizations. One of the most active and prosperous groups was The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, which had organized their first lodge in Oklahoma City in 1898. Not until the 1920s, however, could the lodge afford to construct a large meeting hall. In 1925, with members pledging $500,000, the lodge hired the architectural firm of Sorey, Hill and Sorey to construct a twelve-story hall. Begun in March of 1926, construction progressed until five stories were erected: then the cash was exhausted. The resulting building's dominant style was Italian Renaissance, with cut limestone, double-arched windows, and wrought-iron balconies. The Elks remained in the building for five years before suffering the same fate as the Masons. The economic depression forced the lodge to sell the ornate structure to the Oklahoma Natural Gas Company. In 1947 the gas distribution firm purchased the structure." (Blackburn, Henderson and Thurman 59)
Click points or areas on the map to view historic photographs of downtown Oklahoma City.
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- Ford Assembling Plant
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- Municipal Auditorium
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- Bird’s Eye View of Civic Center and Courthouse
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- Old County Courthouse
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- Montgomery Ward Building
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- Hotel Black
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- Motor Hotel
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- Plaza Court
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- Gene Jones Motor Co.
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- Magnolia Petroleum Company
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- Rockwell Apartments
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- Masonic Temple (Home State Life Building)
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- Kirkpatrick Hotel
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- Elks Lodge (Key Building, ONG Building)
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- Federal Building
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- US Post Office
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- Federal Reserve Bank
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- Cotton-Exchange Building
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- Oklahoma County Courthouse
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- YWCA
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- Hightower Building
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- Mercantile Building (Levy Building)
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- Majestic Building
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- First National Building
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- Wright Building
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- Skirvin Tower
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- Rock Island Railroad Depot
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- Skirvin Hotel
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- Insurance Building
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- Public Warehouse Company
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- Patterson and Hoffman Wholesale Cigars and Pipes
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- Milner Hotel
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- Hotel Kingkade
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- Herskowitz Building
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- Santa Fe Railroad Station
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- Wells Roberts Hotel
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- Sooner Theatre
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- Colcord Building
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- Baltimore Building
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- Midwest Theatre
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- Kress
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- Lerner
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- Katz Drug
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- The American National Building
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- Empire Building
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- Criterion Theatre
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- Biltmore Hotel
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- Oklahoma Club Building
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- Farmer's National Bank Building
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- Commerce Exchange Building
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- Huckins Hotel, Huckins Garage
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- Campbell Building
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- Hales Building
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- Fidelity Bank
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- Britling Cafeteria
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- Manly Office Supply Company
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- Perrine Building, Cravens Building
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- Baum Building
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- Security National Building
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- Ramsey Tower, City National Building
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- Petroleum Building
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- Franklin Building
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- Braniff Building
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- Kerr-McGee Building
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- Capitol Federal Savings and Loan
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- Telephone, Pioneer, Southwestern Bell
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Parade on Broadway
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- Street View
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- Street View
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- Aerial View
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- Bird’s Eye View
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- Bird’s Eye View
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- Bird’s Eye View
The Z. P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection
The Z. P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection includes thousands of images, many of which depict businesses in Oklahoma City. Many photographs in the collection are from the Meyers Photo Shop, which employed Barney Hillerman and other photographers. This map highlights significant buildings in the downtown Oklahoma City area, as well as street and aerial views. The map features images dating from the late 1920s to the 1960s.
This project was made possible by a grant from the Pauline Dwyer Macklanburg and Robert A. Macklanburg Jr. Foundation.
You can view more images from the Z. P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection on The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
Visit The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
