National Register Record for HOTEL LOWREY

Historic Name: HOTEL LOWREY
Current Name: SAME
Address: 301 DEWEY AVENUE
City: POTEAU            County: LEFLORE
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: THE HOTEL LOWREY BUILDING, LOCATED AT 301 DEWEY AVENUE, IN POTEAU, LEFLORE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, ON THE TOWN’S MAIN COMMERCIAL THOROUGHFARE, IS LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT IN THE AREA OF COMMERCE IN POTEAU FOR THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE BEGINNING IN 1922 AND ENDING IN 1965, THE DATE AT WHICH THE HOTEL CLOSED AND THE ACTIVITIES SHIFTED TO COLLEGE HOUSING. THE BUILDING WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1922-23 WITH CLASSICAL REVIVAL DETAILING. IT WAS POTEAU’S LARGEST COMMERCIAL OFFICE AND RETAIL BUILDING, AND IT REMAINS THE TOWN’S LARGEST OF THAT STYLE. IN 1931-32 ADDITIONAL CLASSICAL REVIVAL DETAILS WERE ADDED, EXTERIOR WINDOW UPGRADES WERE MADE, AND THE INTERIOR WAS SLIGHTLY RECONFIGURED, SO THAT THE BUILDING BECAME A COMBINED HOTEL AND OFFICE BUILDING. IT REPRESENTS THE TOWN’S BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT DURING THE 1920S AND 1930S, AS PART OF A NATIONAL PATTERN OF TOWN BOOSTERISM BY TYPICAL LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS DURING AN ERA OF ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND POPULATION MOBILITY. THE SETTING REMAINS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE ERA OF CONSTRUCTION, WITH SMALLER 1920S-ERA CLASSICAL REVIVAL AND COMMERCIAL STYLE BUILDINGS. THE HOTEL LOWREY BUILDING RETAINS SUFFICIENT INTEGRITY OF LOCATION, SETTING, DESIGN, MATERIALS, AND WORKMANSHIP, AS WELL AS THE FEELING AND ASSOCIATION OF A VITAL PART OF A DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, AND IT IS NOMINATED FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES UNDER CRITERION A WITHIN A CONTEXT OF LOCAL COMMERCE. LISTED 11/30/2020.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: DOMESTIC: HOTEL
Current Function: RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT: MUSEUM
Area of Significance 1: COMMERCE
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: CLASSICAL REVIVAL
Architect: BUILDER: J.S. TERRY
Year Built: 1922-1965            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD-EXCELLENT
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: MAY 2020