Hey friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, we’re talking about the historic downtown district in Perkins, Oklahoma. I drove through Perkins countless times while I was a student at Oklahoma State University, but I never stopped… That obviously changed one day when I took these pictures!
I pulled off of Highway 177, found a parking spot and grabbed my phone. I took pictures up and down the main line of buildings. Once I got my pictures I drove home to begin researching this blog. The research about the old buildings has been so fun. There is so much history lining that little street and I am so glad I finally stopped.
So, let me tell you a little bit about historic downtown Perkins, Oklahoma.
*All photos were taken by myself in Perkins, Oklahoma.
History of Perkins
Located approximately ten miles south of Stillwater, Perkins is located in Payne County, Oklahoma and was founded in 1889. In the late-nineteenth century, Perkins was mainly a farming and cotton growing community. Their main exports included wheat and cotton. Some have argued it was booming agricultural area!
Perkins had a few hotels, barber shops, two newspapers, sawmills, lumberyards, and several grocery stores. Other contributing factors which helped the downtown business district thrive was the Cimarron Bridge. It connected Perkins to the Iowa reservations. Perkins was a part of Payne County’s first telephone service and the Eastern Oklahoma Railway line as well. These things helped establish Perkins as an important town in the region.
Historic Buildings
Showcasing late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century architecture, historic downtown Perkins features Romanesque Revival or Commercial styles. The buildings were constructed using asphalt, stone, concrete, sandstone, metal and tin.
In 1916, a devastating fire ripped through downtown Perkins and destroyed some of the buildings. A few of the buildings were rebuilt in the aftermath and the town continued to thrive.
I’ve linked a few sources at the end of this post that share more about the history of Perkins and buildings if you are interested! Now, let me show you some of the buildings that are still on Main Street in 2023.
West Side of Main Street
The Payne County Bank Building (1903)
The Payne County bank building was built in 1903 using sandstone. This building is Romanesque Revival style.
On the second story above the front window is the masonic symbol. The word bank has also been engraved.
The arches are also a significant part of the architecture.
101 S. Main Street
Sherrod Furniture & Undertaking (1916)
Sherrod Furniture and Undertaking was built in 1916 in the Commercial Style.
115 S. Main Street
Vangreithuysen & Lowe’s Cimarron Gallery (1916)
Vangreithuysen & Lowe’s Cimarron Gallery was built in 1916 in the Commercial Style.
117 S. Main Street
General Store (1916)
The General Store was built in 1916 in the Commercial Style.
127 S. Main Street
E.R. Thomas Palace Drug Store (1892)
E.R. Thomas Palace Drug Store was built in 1892. It is one-story and made out of sandstone. It was built in the Romanesque Revival Style.
The arches are significant to the architecture.
129 S. Main Street
Henry Dry Goods & Notions (1898)
Henry Dry Goods and Notions was built in 1898. This one-story sandstone building does not display one particular style.
133 S. Main Street
(L-R:
General Store (1898)
The General Store was built in 1898 out of sandstone original to the area.
135 S. Main Street
Jorns & Thoroughman Store (1911)
The E.R. Thomas Palace Drug Store was built in 1911 and consists of two stories.
145 & 147 S. Main Street
(L-R:
East Side of Main Street
William Knipe & Company (1890)
The William Knipe & Company building was built in 1890 out of local bricks from the Day Brothers Brickyard. The architecture style is Italiante Commercial Style.
This is a two-story building. There is an iron staircase on the north side of the building that extends from the second story to the ground. There are old photographs that show a staircase used to be located on the south side of the building.
102 S. Main Street
Miles Building (1901)
The Miles Building was built in 1901 in the Commercial Style. It is a two-story building with three entrances on the bottom floor. There are several decorative pieces on the front of this building.
122, 124, & 126 S. Main Street
Holbrook’s Central Drug Store (1908)
Holbrook’s Central Drug Store was built in 1908 using sandstone and brick on the front façade. It is built in the Commercial Style.
128 S. Main Street
Utter Saloon (1904)
Utter Saloon was built in 1904.
Concluding Thoughts
Historic downtown Perkins is one of those treasures you don’t find very often. I was fortunate to drive through every time I went to and from college in Stillwater. It’s a beautiful area that is full of interesting history.
I hope you’ll stop next time you see an interesting building – you never know what you might learn! And don’t wait literally years to stop like I did…
TRAVEL TIP: After visiting historic downtown Perkins, you should swing by the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza right up the road and see Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton’s historic home! It’s pretty cool!
That’s all I have for you today. Happy traveling! I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂
Visit
Historic Downtown Perkins
Highway 177
Sources
National Register Application for Historic Downtown Perkins
The Active Historian 
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