Wolleson–Nicewander Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wolleson–Nicewander Building
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | 615 Delaware St., Perry, Oklahoma |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Wollenson, T.E. |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002004 |
| Added to NRHP | May 16, 1979 |
The Wolleson–Nicewander Building is a historic building in Perry, Oklahoma. It was built in 1900 and is also known as the Triton Insurance Company Building. You can find it in the Perry Courthouse Square Historic District.
A man named T. E. Wollenson built this two-story building. He was a sailor and merchant who came from Denmark. He settled in Perry and bought land near what is now Courthouse Square. The building first housed the Nicewander Clothing store. Over the years, it was home to many different businesses. These included a dry goods store, a tire and auto supply store, and an insurance company.
Contents
Building History
Who First Used the Building?
T. E. Wollenson himself first used the building. He opened his Boston Dry Goods Store on the ground floor. He ran his store there until 1910.
Later Businesses in the Building
After Wollenson, Mr. Nicewander opened a clothing store. Then, N. C. Chapman had a dry goods store in the building. Later, P. Scobill ran a tire and auto supply store there.
The Triton Insurance Group
In the 1960s, the building became the main office for the Triton Insurance Group. This company made many changes to the building. They redecorated both the inside and outside. One big change was adding a huge map of Oklahoma on the east side. You can still see this map today! The Triton Insurance Group moved out of Perry in 1974.
About the Building
What Does the Building Look Like?
The Wolleson–Nicewander Building is located at 615 Delaware Street in Perry. It is a two-story building made of red brick and sandstone. It was built in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque. This style often uses strong, rounded arches.
Windows and Doors
The second floor has four tall, narrow windows. These windows help to let air into the rooms. Black metal railings are in front of the windows for safety. The main entrance has a large double door. Above the door, there is a horseshoe shape.
Special Details and Art
The second story still has its original Romanesque arches. It also has decorated stone pieces called lintels. These are supported by small columns called colonnettes. Each colonnette has a carved lion's head. These lion heads remind people of the carved figures on the front of old sailing ships. This is a nod to T. E. Wollenson's past as a sailor.
Inside, the ground floor used to have two large rooms. The upper floor had several offices. These offices were used by the Triton Life Insurance Company.
A large map of Oklahoma is painted on the outside wall. This map shows different parts of Oklahoma's history. Artists Adriano Ceciloni and Charles Wysocki painted this map. They also painted other pictures inside the building.
Images for kids
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The south and east sides of the building.
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A lion's head on one of the columns. Each column has a different figure.
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Another figure on a column, like the front of a ship.
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The large Oklahoma map painted on the east side of the building.
