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A Landmark Property in Oklahoma City with a $16 Million Renovation
At Colcord's direction, the building was constructed of reinforced concrete. Colcord had witnessed the terrible devastation associated with the San Francisco earthquake and resulting fires in 1906, and wanted to avoid the same catastrophic loss of his building in Oklahoma City. Every convenience and luxury of the time was incorporated in the construction. Black and white marble adorned the columns and walls of the main lobby, the original nickel and bronze letterbox and elevator doors shone, and an ornamental plaster ceiling crowned the space. Colcord's monogram, CFC, in flowing script, was on the door hardware and on the exterior terracotta ornamentation.
Today, the Colcord Hotel brings new life and elegance to the original Colcord Building as the second boutique hotel in the Coury Collection. After a $16 million renovation project which was completed in the fall of 2006, the building's trademark elegance and historic architectural elements have been preserved, yet it now offers a contemporary style, elegance, and state-of-the-art technology befitting a deluxe hotel of the twenty-first century. The Colcord Hotel is the only luxury boutique hotel in Oklahoma City that is locally owned and operated. [ Top of Page ] |
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When the Colcord Building was completed in 1910, at 12 stories, it was the first skyscraper in Oklahoma City. Constructed by Charles Francis Colcord, he selected William A. Wells as the architect for this building. Wells was a protégé of Louis Sullivan, a founder of the Chicago School style of architecture. Sullivan was also the designer of the molds for the decorative terracotta, which adorns the first, second, and twelfth floors of the Colcord Building.
The Colcord served as a prime office and commercial address for the Oklahoma City business community for over 90 years. Even the urban renewal, which leveled most buildings along Sheridan Avenue, left the Colcord Building standing and untouched. This downtown landmark was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
