Dunlap Building - Ardmore Historic Commercial District - Ardmore, Oklahoma
Posted by: 
gparkes
N 34° 10.358 W 097° 07.765
14S E 672405 N 3782878
Constructed in 1905, the only major alteration made to the building is the cement tile added to the first floor.
Waymark Code: WM8JZH
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 04/11/2010
Views: 14
This building located at 100 West Main Street, remains fairly intact to its original design. With the exception of the first floor tiling, even the office spaces remain with their original capacity.
A historic marker is attached to the building, describing its use through the years:
The Banker’s National Bank Building – 1906
On November 9, 1905 Mattie Dobbins purchased this lot from the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations for the sum of $252.60. Ms. Dobbins entered into a 10 year lease contract with the Banker’s Trust Co. on July 31, 1906 for a $50.00 per month rental on the land. The contract also provided for this building to be built for $18,000.00 and financed by the Banker’s Trust Co.
Banker’s National Bank occupied this building while Ardmore was in Indian Territory (late 1906), then the name was changed to the American National Bank upon statehood. The American National Bank was active until 1916 when they moved to what is now the Colston Building across the street.
In December of 1917, A.H. Palmer organized the City State Bank at this location. The bank opened its doors on May 18, 1918 and was active until 1928.
The next occupant after the City State Bank closed was the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce whose offices were moved to this building in late 1928 or early 1929. The building was called the Chamber of Commerce building until they vacated the premises in 1954. It has been known as the Dunlap Building since.
In 1937 Errett Dunlap, Sr. purchased the building from the Dobbins family. Mr. Dunlap was born on October 18, 1882 in Beebe, Arkansas and moved to Ardmore I.T. with his parents in 1896, his father being appointed superintendent of schools in the Indian Territory. Errett Dunlap was one of Ardmore’s pioneer oil men serving as president and vice president of several early oil companies, among them the Bull Head Oil Company and the Fox Producing Company. He would often sit on the rails along A Street S.W. negotiating oil deals to be later consummated in his office on the top floor of the building. Upon his death in 1956 the building passed to his son, Errett Dunlap, Jr. Today it is owned by Thomas F. Dunlap who is the third generation to own the property.