National Register Record for LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL

Historic Name: LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL
Current Name: LYTTON BUILDING
Address: 907-909 SOUTH MAIN STREET
City: STILLWATER            County: PAYNE
Section: 23           Township: 19N           Range: 2E          
Description of significance: THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL, LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN STILLWATER, PAYNE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL UNDER CRITERION C FOR ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AS AN EXAMPLE OF A TERRITORIAL-ERA, THREE-STORY, BRICK, COMMERICAL STYLE BUILDING WITH TWO DISTINGUISHING, UNUSUAL FEATURES. THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT FEATURE IS THE THIRD FLOOR WHICH WAS ADDED, OPERATED AND OWNED SEPARATELY BY THE FRONTIER LODGE NO. 6 ANCIENT FREE (A.F.) AND ACCEPTED MASONS (A.M.). WHILE IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A LOCAL MASON ORGANIZATION TO BUILD A BUILDING OR RENT SPACE IN AN UPPER FLOOR OF A DOWNTOWN BUILDING, IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR THE MASONS, OR REALLY ANY PARTY, TO INDEPENDENTLY BUILD AN UPPER FLOOR SEPARATE FROM THE LOWER FLOORS. THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT FEATURE THAT DISTINGUISHES THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL FROM OTHER BUILDINGS OF ITS TYPE AND PERIOD WAS THE INTERIOR UPPER FLOOR STAIR WITH AN ORIGINAL SIDE OPENING IN THE PARTY WALL THAT, AS AGREED BETWEEN THE OWNER OF THE LOWER TWO FLOORS OF THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL AND THE OWNER OF THE ADJOINING PIERCE BUILDING, ALLOWED INTERIOR ACCESS TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE PIERCE BUILDING. BOTH ARCHITECTURALLY DEFINING FEATURES WERE PART OF THE 1901 CONSTRUCTION OF THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL. CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL REGISTER GUIDANCE FOR PROPERTIES NOMINATED UNDER CRITERION C, THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE BUILDING CORRESPONDS TO ITS CONSTRUCTION IN 1901, WHICH IS WHEN THE BUILDING ACHIEVED ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. ALTHOUGH THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL LATER UNDERWENT A REAR ADDITION AND OTHER ALTERATIONS, THE ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING WAS REALIZED AT THE TIME OF ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION IN 1901 AND THE BUILDING RETAINS INTEGRITY TO THAT PERIOD, INCLUDING THE THIRD FLOOR; THE INTERIOR STAIRS THAT ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS OF THE LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL AND TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE SEPARATE ADJACENT PIERCE BUILDING THROUGH A SIMPLE ORIGINAL OPENING IN THE PARTY WALL LOCATED SLIGHTLY BELOW THE LYTTON BUILDING SECOND FLOOR; AND, THE FUNDAMENTAL CONFIGURATION OF THE STOREFRONT ESTABLISHED IN 1901 BY THE CAST IRON COLUMNS THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE. THE HYPHENATED NAME OF “LYTTON BUILDING-MASONIC HALL” IS USED IN THIS NOMINATION TO DISTINGUISH THE LOWER TWO FLOORS FROM THE THIRD FLOOR. FROM THE 1900S TO THE 1940S, THE MASONS CONSISTENTLY REFERRED TO THEIR PORTION OF THE BUILDING AS “MASONIC HALL” AS DOCUMENTED IN THE MEETING NOTES IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: COMMERCE/TRADE: SPECIALTY STORESOCIAL: MEETING HALL
Current Function: VACANT
Area of Significance 1: ARCHITECTURE
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: COMMERCIAL
Architect: UNKNOWN
Year Built: 1901            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: 2020