The Dowell Center is a 20-story
skyscraper in downtown
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
,
Oklahoma. Construction on the original 18-story tower began in 1926, and was completed in 1927. The tower's footprint was doubled and two stories added in 1964 by then owner
Kerr-McGee Corporation
The Kerr-McGee Corporation, founded in 1929, was an American energy company involved in oil exploration, production of crude oil, natural gas, perchlorate and uranium mining and milling in various countries. On June 23, 2006, Anadarko Petroleum ...
. The Dowell Center comprises more than 205,000 ft
2 (19,045 m
2) and is located adjacent to Kerr Park.
History
Originally planned as a ten-story structure during Oklahoma City's early century building boom by Oklahoma City general contractor J. W. Mann. Designed as the first building to appeal to Oklahoma City's
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
fraternity the building the 18 story Petroleum Building broke ground in 1926 and was completed in 1927.
At the time it was the tallest building in Oklahoma City.
Financial difficulties developed and in 1934 ownership of the building changed through a $500,000 federal court foreclosure and was later sold to R. D. Cravens and Associates in 1946.
The Petroleum Building was sold again in 1952 to Kerr-McGee Oil Co.
who would rename it the Republic Building in 1953 after its tenant
Republic Supply Co and use it as additional space for the oil company and other Kerr-McGee interests.
In 1962 Kerr-McGee began a significant expansion of the newly christened Kermac Building that would see the structure double its east/west foot print and add 2 stories. The expansion reportedly cost $4 million and took 2 years to complete.
See also
*
List of tallest buildings in Oklahoma City
References
Office buildings completed in 1927
Buildings and structures in Oklahoma City
Skyscraper office buildings in Oklahoma City
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