Published: March 31, 2006 09:38 pm            

Guthrie splendor

EDMOND — When I was a little kid, growing up in Kansas City, I fantasized that I lived in either the Nelson Art Gallery or the Loew’s Midland Theatre. These were the most palatial buildings I’d ever seen. If I’d grown up in Oklahoma, my fantasy residence would have to have been the Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie.

A tour through the Temple is a walk through some of the finest examples of architecture from more than 5,000 years. For a kid with a rich imagination, these rooms provide plenty of material.

The building itself was designed by architect Solomon Layton, who also designed the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. Completed in 1929 at a cost of $1.6 million, the Temple has a classic Greek exterior with massive Doric columns, each weighing 77 tons, and 800 pound, solid-cast, bronze doors.

The interior is built around a central atrium in the style of the Roman Empire. A stained glass window overhead covers what would have been an opening in a Roman roof. The stone above the central door to the Main Auditorium came from the same quarry as the stones used in King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.

Look around the walls to find the framed quill pen, one of two used by President Theodore Roosevelt to sign the bill declaring Oklahoma a state. Roosevelt was one of 14 U.S. presidents who were Masons.

Each of the rooms in the building represents an important period in architectural history. The Pompeiian Room recreates the style of the first century before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. All of the decorative work on the walls and ceiling was drawn free-hand with designs typical in that period.

The dark Assyrian Room is painted to reflect the smoke and soot stains that would have been found in 700 B.C. Assyria. The lamps represent the firepots that were raised and lowered from the ceiling.

The Crystal and Rose Rooms would be at home in any 18th century palace. Scots architect/designer Robert Adam’s style is in evidence in these rooms.

The elaborate Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers give the Crystal Room its name. Everything in this room is elegant, down to the triple-plated gold door hinges. Be sure and check out the elegant plaster work on the ceilings.

All the plaster work and woodwork were designed by Marion Davidson, husband of Katherine Davidson, the woman who designed all the interiors for the Temple.

Katherine had worked for Marshall, Field and Company in Chicago as a rug designer and this was her first significant independent commission as an interior designer. She was meticulous in her work, doing watercolor paintings of each area, covering them with glass, then having the painters mix their paints on the glass until the colors matched exactly.

She designed everything except the plaster work — all the rugs, wall decorations, furniture and draperies.

The rug she designed for the Crystal Room was so large it took two railroad flatcars to get it to Guthrie. It was hand-woven, all in one piece, in County Donegal, Ireland.

Attached by a hallway to the main building of the Temple is the dining room/ballroom, originally Guthrie’s Convention Hall. This structure served as the Capitol of Oklahoma until it was moved to Oklahoma City in 1910. As a Centennial project, it is being restored to its early 1900 state.

The Main Auditorium is one of my favorite spots in the Temple for one big reason — the huge Kimball Concert Pipe Organ. When this magnificent instrument is played full-out, you can feel the power from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. The more than 5,000 pipes range in length from one- and two-thirds inches to 32 feet. The auditorium itself is done in Romanesque-style and seats 1,760.

More intimate is the Egyptian Room, a small theatre that seats 300. Decorated in the style of 4th Dynasty Egypt (about 3700 B.C.), it is painted with illustrations from the “Book of the Dead.” The painting in here was done in the same way it would have been done in ancient Egypt, with minerals hand-ground to a fine powder and mixed with egg whites to create tempera paint.

On the second floor, in addition to the Rose Room, is its companion, The Blue Room, which is set up as a lodge room. Throughout the Temple are many examples of stained glass work.

The stained glass windows in this room, done by a fine Italian artisan, are among the most attractive.

Other second floor rooms include the Writing Room in 17th century English-style and the 15th century-style Italian Lounge. A favorite with younger visitors is the 13th century Gothic Library, which they refer to as the “Harry Potter Room.” With its dark wood and elaborate glass-fronted book cases, it would be right at home in Hogwarts.

Many people ask how much the building is worth. It has been appraised at more than $60 million but, in fact, is priceless because so many of the features cannot be duplicated or replaced.

A tour of the Temple takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how talkative your guide is.

I love this fabulous building, but I’ve gotten over wanting to live in a palace — way, way too much to clean!

(Elaine Warner is an Edmond-based travel writer.)

        

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