Former Hotel Restored in 1978 is Still Occupied Today
HISTORIC BUILDING: According to the National Register of Historic Places, The Pierce Block was used continuously as a hotel for 70 years.
The Pierce Block at 300 E. Third St. is an unusual building for two reasons.
In an era when buildings were heavily ornamented, it has an extremely simple façade. Secondly, built in 1909, it is one of Tulsa’s oldest mixed-use buildings, which combined street level retail with upper level office space.
In its long history, the Pierce housed the Mammoth Credit Company, a clothing store until 1929, followed by a long succession of paint and wallpaper shops, a vending machine company, a display sales company, a billiard parlor, a printing company and offices for a local TV station.
Three generations of the Daniels’ family had previously owned the property when my architectural firm was retained in 1978 to restore and upgrade the building, which was standing empty and derelict.
We succeeded in getting a National Register listing in 1979. Register guidelines allowed an unobstructive addition on the rear to house a small lobby and elevator. The wood interior partitions and floor structure were reinforced. The original double-hung wood windows were replaced. The exterior brick skin was cleaned and repointed.
The perimeter exterior walls are masonry with red brick facing. There are three stories above street level with a full basement with exterior stairwell access on the west. Long and slender, the building is only approximately 25 to 35 feet wide.
The exterior of the Pierce Block displays three bands of brick corbelling separating each floor. The top band serves as the building cornice with four layers of corbelled brick. The window pattern is a series of tall slender individual openings in a symmetrical spacing at the west and south elevations. The second floor windows have an arched head. Those at the third floor are rectangular. All window frames are white in color. The east elevation was originally covered by an abutting building, which today no longer exists.
The main entrance is simple and striking. It is centered on the street level south elevation on Third Street and is flanked by large glass openings on both sides. The door itself has divided glass lites and is capped by a dentil pattern light colored stone lintel. Above this lintel is a semicircular glass transom with spoke muntins. Completing these elements at the very top is a large rectangular light colored granite nameplate block. Large intaglio letters state, “Pierce” and smaller letters, “1909 and Building.”
The Pierce appears to be successfully occupied today. Its rebirth has prolonged the life of another Tulsa building treasure.
