The Active Historian

Hey, Friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I want to tell you about the history of the Magnolia Petroleum Company building in Oklahoma City’s ‘Automobile Alley.’ Let’s get started!

History

The Magnolia Petroleum Company was incorporated in Texas in 1911. They owned oil field properties in Texas and expanded operations into North Texas and Oklahoma. Their first pipeline in Oklahoma was in the Cushing oil field which went back to their Texas refineries. They also extended business into the Healdton oil field.

The Magnolia Petroleum Company decided they needed to open a divisional office in Oklahoma due to the increased business. They chose Oklahoma City due to its central proximity.

The Magnolia Petroleum Company building was constructed in the Sullivanesque architecture style. The five-story limestone and blonde brick structure was designed by J.W. Hawk of the Hawk-Parr Architectural Firm in Oklahoma City. The building permit was issued in June 1919 to the C.M. Dunning Construction Company and cost roughly $150,000 at the time of completion.

The Magnolia Petroleum Building opened in 1920 and had a service station on the first floor and offices on the upper floors. Hawk-Parr moved their offices to the Mezzanine of the building from 1919-1925.

In 1925, the New York Standard Petroleum Company (today’s Mobil Oil Corporation) purchased the Magnolia Petroleum Company. They owned the building in OKC until 1960 when it was sold to investors.

The National Register of Historic Places application for the Magnolia Petroleum Building suggested preserving and renovating this structure would allow for a revitalization of the Automobile Alley District on Broadway in OKC. In 1979, the Magnolia Petroleum Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. At this time the R.H. Riddle Company was listed as the owner of the building.

In 1992, the Magnolia Petroleum Building was purchased by SouthOK Partners for $250,000. The building had been deteriorating for several years and it needed some serious work. In April 1995, the building suffered extensive damage in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

MidFirst Bank occupied the first floor of the building from the late 1990s to 2006.

Today, First Fidelity Bank occupies the ground floor and they operate a drive-through banking option where the gas pumps used to be. You can see in the photos below!

I look forward to seeing this building being an important part of Oklahoma City for many years to come!

Visit

722 N Broadway

Oklahoma City, OK

Sources

Primary Sources

Newspapers

“Magnolia Building Permit Is Issued.” The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), June 9, 1919.

“Office Building Section Extends.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), February 22, 1920.

“The Magnolia Petroleum Co.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), May 30, 1920.

“This Broadway Building For Sale.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, OK), July 21, 1920.

Stacy Martin. “Magnolia Building Purchased.” The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), August 19, 1992.

Brianna Bailey. “These Walls: Old Magnolia Petroleum Building.” The Journal Record (Oklahoma City, OK), July 16, 2010.

Secondary Sources

“Magnolia Petroleum Building.” National Register of Historic Places – Nomination Form.

Mark Beutler. “Memories of The Magnolia.” 405 Magazine (Oklahoma City, OK), July 6, 2016.