National Register Record for FIRST NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY BUILDING

Historic Name: FIRST NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY BUILDING
Current Name: FIRST NATIONAL CENTER
Address: 120 NORTH ROBINSON AVENUE
City: OKLAHOMA CITY            County: OKLAHOMA
Section: 33           Township: 12N           Range: 3W          
Description of significance: THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY IS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AT THE STATE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR ITS HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT IS SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION A IN THE FIELD OF COMMERCE BECAUSE FIRST NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST WAS OKLAHOMA’S LARGEST BANK FOR MOST OF THE 20TH CENTURY. THE BUILDING IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION C FOR ARCHITECTURE AS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF AN ART DECO STYLE HIGH-RISE COMMERCIAL BUILDING. THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED BY WEARY AND ALFORD FROM CHICAGO AND CONSTRUCTED FROM 1930-1931. THE ART DECO STYLE IS EXEMPLIFIED BY A VERTICAL EMPHASIS. THE INTRICATE ALUMINUM DECORATIVE ELEMENTS ON THE BUILDING’S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR ARE THE ONLY EXAMPLES IN OKLAHOMA CITY OF ART DECO DESIGN FROM THIS ERA. THE GREAT BANKING HALL IS A COMBINATION OF THE CLASSICAL REVIVAL WITH ART DECO. THE 1957 ADDITION REFLECTS THE POPULAR MODERN INTERNATIONAL STYLE, WITH ITS CLEAN LINES, ORDERLY GRID, AND USE OF GLASS AND METAL. THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING IS FROM 1930 TO 1957. THE 1957 WING IS SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION C AS AN EARLY EXAMPLE IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY OF AN INTERNATIONAL STYLE POSTWAR OFFICE BUILDING. LISTED 3/15/2018.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: COMMERCE: FINANCECOMMERCE: BUSINESSCOMMERCE: PROFESSIONALCOMMERCE: SPECIALTY STORE
Current Function: COMMERCE: BUSINESSCOMMERCE: PROFESSIONALCOMMERCE: SPECIALTY STORECOMMERCE: RESTAURANTVACANT/NOT IN USE
Area of Significance 1: ARCHITECTURE
Area of Significance 2: COMMERCE
Architectural Style: MODERN MOVEMENT/ART DECO; MODERN MOVEMENT/INTERNATIONAL
Architect: WEARY & ALFORD (ARCHITECT, 1931); MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION CO (BUILDER, 1931); SOREY, HILL, AND SOREY (ARCHITECT, 1957 ADD); HUDGINS, THOMPSON, BALL, INC. AND HOWARD SAMIS PORCH (ARCHITECTS, 1972 ADD); HARMON CONSTRUCTION CO. (BUILDER, 1972 ADD)
Year Built: 1930-1957            Original Site: YES
Condition: EXCELLENT - GOOD
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: 2017