Heritage Hills in Oklahoma City in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Mid-Continent Life Building
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 2025
1. Mid-Continent Life Building Marker
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
Location. 35° 28.986′ N, 97° 31.559′ W. Marker is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in Oklahoma County. It is in Heritage Hills. It is at the intersection of Classen Drive and Shartel Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Classen Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1400 Classen Dr, Oklahoma City OK 73106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Oklahoma Frontier Country. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Susan Ferrell and Mary Rentie (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Maney Home (approx. 0.2 miles away); Osler Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); Historic Plaza Court (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hales Home (approx. 0.4 miles away); Overholser Mansion (approx. 0.4 miles away); Kaiser's Ice Cream Parlour (approx. 0.4 miles away); Caldwell-Walton House (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oklahoma City.
Regarding Mid-Continent Life Building. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
An example of Neo-Classicism architecture, the Mid-Continent Life Insurance Company building, begun in 1926 and completed in 1927, cost $300,000.00.
Ground was broken May 10, 1926. Construction was completed - and properly celebrated - exactly one year later, May 10, 1927. (The cornerstone had been laid, also with appropriate ceremony, November 3, 1926.) Pat Neff, former governor of Texas and a friend of Texas-born [and Mid-Continent president R.T.] Stuart, was the guest of honor. William J. Pettee, OklahomaCity pioneer business man and '89er, headed the reception committee for a gala banquet attended by some 700 people. The following day the Oklahoma Bankers Association, then in convention in the capital city, came out in a body at noon for an old time barbecue on the spacious grounds. After that the doors of the new building were thrown open to the public and as many as 35,000 are said to have inspected it.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 10, 20252. Mid-Continent Life Building MarkerThe plaque is at the base of the mid-level stairs. The building is now home of the Gaylord-Pickens Museum and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Also see . . .
1. Mid-Continent Life Building (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 1979. (Prepared b y Kent Ruth and Bill E. Peavler, Oklahoma Historical Society; via State Historical Preservation Office of Oklahoma) (Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. History of the Building. The building that is now the Gaylord-Pickens Museum, home of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, was built in a Neoclassical style by Solomon Layton, who also built other iconic Oklahoma buildings such as the Oklahoma State Capitol, the Skirvin Hotel, and the Bizzell Memorial Library at the University of Oklahoma. (Oklahoma Hall of Fame) (Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 130 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 28, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
