Simpson-Little-Colston Building
The Colston Corporation
| | Ardmore Main Street | |
Built in 1918, the Simpson Building was Ardmore's first attempt at building a skyscraper office building. B. A. Simpson, P. C. Dings, and Roy M. Johnson, all of Ardmore, financed the building's construction.
The building's first floor facade was lined with white tiling, with the remainder of the building constructed with red bricks. The floors were finished in Ohio flint tiling, with wainscoting of Carthage grey marble. Wood finish on the first floor was of mahogany, with finishes on upper floors of light oak. Base molding throughout the building was made from Vermont black marble.
Each floor was divided into 22 offices. Tenants of these offices were furnished ice water from the basement where ice was made by special machinery. A vacuum machine, also in the basement, was connected by a system of pipes to every room in the building to remove dust and litter. The building originally generated its own electricity and had a coal-fired boiler, which heated the entire building.
Original occupants of the first floor were the Guaranty Bank on the corner and the Myers and Boyd Drug Store on the east side. Since 1918, four other
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The first tenant's office was selected from the blue prints. This was the firm of Dolman and Dyer, Attorneys at Law, whose descendants still practice law from offices located in this building.
In the late 1920's the International Independent Oil Producers was organized in this building.
The building was purchased by Quintin Little and Carrie Lou Little in 1949, who renamed it the Little Building. The Little family did extensive interior remodeling and utility upgrade in 1968-1969. Subsequently, in 1975, the building was acquired by The Colston Corporation, with stockholders being Bob Colston and Thomas C. Jobe. The building was later renamed the Colston Building.
Erected by Ardmore Main Street Authority.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.
Location. 34° 10.355′ N, 97° 7.743′ W. Marker is in Ardmore,
Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Chickasaw Nation. 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 the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Banker's National Bank Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The First National Bank and Trust Company of Ardmore (within shouting distance of this marker); Masonic Temple 1896 (within shouting distance of this marker); Hotel Wisnor / Carter-Booker Building
Regarding Simpson-Little-Colston Building. Contributing property, Ardmore Historic Commercial District, National Register of Historic Places № 83002080.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Karen Bode Curths, 2/1982:
The Ardmore Historic Commercial District consists of a group of ninety-seven major structures extending six blocks west from the railroad tracks down both sides of Main Street to C Street W. Built between 1895 and 1924, this prosperous district continues to serve as the core of the commercial center for south-central Oklahoma. As a result, the predominantly red brick buildings have been well maintained and most of the structures still display their original design. Some attempts have been made to rejuvenate facades and street level entries, but local property owners have expressed an interest in preservingthe character of this historic area and most renovating is in keeping with the historical integrity of the buildings.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 4, 20254. Simpson-Little-Colston Building (northwest elevation)The building occupies the southeast corner of the intersection.Simpson-Little-Colston Building, 10 W. Main: 1913-1918 six stories, red brick, with white, glazed terra cotta, decorative detailing, Italian Renaissance revival, U-shaped, corner office building. The elaborate, wide, overhanging, terra cotta eaves form an entablature with decorative brackets. The recessed roofline is edged in a terra cotta course with a centralized cartouche. Both street facades receive similar decorative details, but the Main Street facade (with the main entry) is divided vertically into three bays with the central portion receding slightly with rows of four double-hung sash windows with terra cotta sills while the windows of exterior bay (and the side street windows as well) are groups of three double-hung sash windows appear as part of the frieze, separated from the other floors by the terra cotta architrave. A projecting, decorative, terra cotta stringcouse above another decorative terra cotta band cap the lower level of horizontally grooved terra cotta (on a grey granite watertable) that emerges from the large, round-arched windows with decorative keystones that form the corners on each side of the entry. Five red granite pilasters support the glass entry with a floor of speckled (red/white/grey) granite in 4' x 2 sections. The original entry awning has been replaced with a flat metal awning. The building continues in its original use as an office building, and it includes the original offices of the Independent Petroleum Producers of America.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 26, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 64 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 26, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
