Ataloa Lodge

Ataloa Lodge. . Built and completed in 1932 as an art lodge, this pioneer-style building became a focal point for many college activities, as well as housing the college's extensive artifact collection as a museum for many years. The building was constructed through the joint efforts of then Bacone President Benjamin Weeks and Mary Stone McLendon, "Ataloa." After her death in 1967, the Board of Trustees renamed the building in her honor. McLendon planned and supervised the construction and every detail of the building. President Weeks and Mr. Roy Spinks, engineer, brought the first rocks to the campus for the building, and about 50 students stayed on campus during vacation splitting and hauling stones for the foundation. Much of the building was done by Bacone students under the supervision of H.H. Nieman, architect. The dominant feature of Ataloa Lodge is the interior fireplace built with 500 stones representing the vast geology and history of the United States, which were sent from locations that have historical Native American ties, including Sequoyah's home (father of the Cherokee Syllabary). The fireplace is among 10 Oklahoma artifacts to be recognized in 2014 as part of the Oklahoma Cultural Heritage Trust. The Trust refers to it as "a beautiful and artistic contribution to Oklahoma and stands as an everlasting message that Indian cultures are as embedded in the state's history as the stones in this historic fireplace." (Susan Feller, Oklahoma Department of Libraries)