Vanishing Spaces

Eight stories high, the Commerce Building dominates the skyline of downtown Okmulgee. Its nearly century-old bones are largely intact but its future is uncertain. From the outside it is huge, the tallest and most grandiose of the office buildings constructed during Okmulgee’s oil boom days. The ornate terra cotta exterior is impressive, but what does the inside hold? Click below for a photo tour.

As part of the application for the Okmulgee Downtown Historic District, the Commerce Building (designed by Smith and Senter) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1992, #92001693): “Commerce Building. 117-121 S. Grand. Built 1921. This eight-story office building, constructed of buff brick and terra cotta in the Beaux Arts style, has a full basement. The second story is crowned by a frieze with ornate, scroll-and-wreath terracotta molding. The third through seventh stories are delineated by Solomonic columns. The eighth-floor bays are defined by decorative pilasters and crowned by an elaborate frieze with shield, shell and leaf motifs. The roof features a balustrade ornamented with finials and elaborate pediments with the shell motif. The interior features original detailing and marble floors. Wooden, double-hung windows, either in pairs or triplets, are located in the upper floors. The first floor has been altered with aluminum and glass storefronts, and some of the ornamentation has been obscured by sheathing. However, this building retains its architectural integrity.”