Journal Record Building
Encyclopedia
The Journal Record Building, also known as the Law Journal Record Building and the India Temple Shrine Building, is a Classical Revival style building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. It was completed in 1923 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980. It was damaged in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
and now houses the Oklahoma City National Memorial
Museum.
The 16 Masonic lodge
s of Oklahoma City combined their resources to construct a building large enough to house all of their activities. They hired the prominent local architectural firm
of Layton, Hicks and Forsyth
to design their building. Construction of the India Temple Shrine Building was started in October 1922 and completed the following year at a cost of $1.3 million.
Financial conditions during the Great Depression
forced the Masons
to vacate the India Temple Shrine Building less than 10 years after it opened. It sat empty until December 1945, when it was sold at auction
to Joe D. Morris, president and founder of the Home State Life Insurance Company
. Morris paid $201,000 for the building, which he converted to office space.
The building was sold in December 1977 to Dan Hogan, owner of the Law Journal Record
Publishing Company, and underwent additional interior renovations in 1978.
The Journal Record Building received significant damage in the Oklahoma City bombing
of April 19, 1995, which destroyed the nearby Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
. Following the bombing, the building was restored and became the home of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, an affiliate of the National Park Service
. It also houses the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
.
Neoclassical structure measuring 260 feet (79.2 m) by 140 feet (42.7 m). Two sides are faced with limestone
and decorated with Ionic columns; the remaining two sides are unornamented and faced with brick
. The exterior has undergone few changes other than the 1947 addition of an entryway constructed of limestone blocks and marble
columns.
The original centerpiece of the building was the Shrine Auditorium, with 2,062 seats, a 44 feet (13.4 m) by 80 feet (24.4 m) stage, 2,400 lights, and a pipe organ
with 3,000 pipes that cost $30,000. It was described as the second largest auditorium
in the American West
. When built, the rooms and halls throughout the building were ornately decorated in styles including Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine. By 1947, most of the ornamentation was gone as a result of the remodeling directed by Morris, but the auditorium was retained for use as a theatre
and cinema
. The theatre was successful at first, but its finances declined, and in 1952 the auditorium was gutted and the space was converted to office use.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. It was completed in 1923 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980. It was damaged in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
and now houses the Oklahoma City National Memorial
Oklahoma City National Memorial
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial in the United States that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The memorial is located in downtown Oklahoma City on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal...
Museum.
History
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
s of Oklahoma City combined their resources to construct a building large enough to house all of their activities. They hired the prominent local architectural firm
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of Layton, Hicks and Forsyth
Layton & Forsyth
Layton & Forsyth was a prominent Oklahoma architectural firm that also practiced as partnership including Layton Hicks & Forsyth and Layton, Smith & Forsyth. Led by Oklahoma City architect Solomon Layton, partners included George Forsyth, S. Wemyss Smith, Jewell Hicks, and James W...
to design their building. Construction of the India Temple Shrine Building was started in October 1922 and completed the following year at a cost of $1.3 million.
Financial conditions during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
forced the Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
to vacate the India Temple Shrine Building less than 10 years after it opened. It sat empty until December 1945, when it was sold at auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
to Joe D. Morris, president and founder of the Home State Life Insurance Company
Home State Life Insurance Company
Home State Life Insurance Company was an Oklahoma insurance company that operated from 1929 to 1958, when it became part of the American General Life Insurance Company....
. Morris paid $201,000 for the building, which he converted to office space.
The building was sold in December 1977 to Dan Hogan, owner of the Law Journal Record
The Journal Record
The Journal Record is a daily business and legal newspaper based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Its offices are in downtown Oklahoma City, with bureaus at the Oklahoma State Capitol and in Tulsa....
Publishing Company, and underwent additional interior renovations in 1978.
The Journal Record Building received significant damage in the Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
of April 19, 1995, which destroyed the nearby Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States Federal Government complex located at 200 N.W. 5th Street in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The building was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which killed 168 people, including 19 children...
. Following the bombing, the building was restored and became the home of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, an affiliate of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. It also houses the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism is a United States-based non-profit training and professional development center dedicated to improving the skills of police officers.-Role and focus:...
.
Architecture and decor
The building is a six-storyStorey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
Neoclassical structure measuring 260 feet (79.2 m) by 140 feet (42.7 m). Two sides are faced with limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and decorated with Ionic columns; the remaining two sides are unornamented and faced with brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. The exterior has undergone few changes other than the 1947 addition of an entryway constructed of limestone blocks and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
columns.
The original centerpiece of the building was the Shrine Auditorium, with 2,062 seats, a 44 feet (13.4 m) by 80 feet (24.4 m) stage, 2,400 lights, and a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
with 3,000 pipes that cost $30,000. It was described as the second largest auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
in the American West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. When built, the rooms and halls throughout the building were ornately decorated in styles including Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine. By 1947, most of the ornamentation was gone as a result of the remodeling directed by Morris, but the auditorium was retained for use as a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
. The theatre was successful at first, but its finances declined, and in 1952 the auditorium was gutted and the space was converted to office use.
External links
- National Register Properties in Oklahoma: India Temple Shrine Building
- "Journal Record" in Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture