Guthrie Historic District, Guthrie, Oklahoma

A number of buildings in the historic center of Guthrie were designed by the territorial architect Joseph Foucart (1848-1917). (Oklahoma became a state in 1907; Guthrie was the territorial and first state capital of Oklahoma.) A Frenchman, born in Belgium, Foucart was a well-known architect before coming to Oklahoma and had been involved in the design and construction of castles, hotels and civic buildings throughout central Europe and Paris, France. "Foucart saw an opportunity with the opening of the Oklahoma Territory and came to Guthrie a few months after "The Land Run" of 1889 and immediately began designing and supervising the construction of buildings in the capital city. His architectural training is easily identified in the image and definition of buildings throughout Guthrie, but his engineering training resulted in buildings that were practically indestructible, a hidden fact that became well known when some of these buildings were demolished in later years" (website).
The State Capital Publishing Company Building Joseph Foucart 1902 "Another important commission was the State Capital Publishing Company. Built in 1902, it is remarkable for the simplicity and subtlety of the wall surfaces, door and window placement, and details. The primary facades are unusually flat and restrained, yet the open, three-dimensional tower, capped with a Russian onion dome, is a powerful sculptural counterpoint that draws immediate attention to the corner of the building" (website).
The Bonifas Building Joseph Foucart 1890
		The Victor Block Joseph Foucart 1893 The territorial architect Foucart designed this building in a kind of toned-down Richardson Romanesque style. See Index for examples of Richardson's architecture.
details, the Victor Block Joseph Foucart 1893
The Foucart Building Edward T. Patten 1891 So-called because Joseph Foucart had an office here.
DeFord Building Joseph Foucart 1890
The Gray Brothers Building Joseph Foucart 1890 and 1893 "This structure is one of the finest remaining examples of stylish commercial buildings of the territorial period in Oklahoma. It was built for and occupied by important pioneer-entrepreneurs, and was an integral part of the commercial sector of Guthrie in both a business and a visual sense. The first tenant was the Bank of Indian Territory, among the earliest of the important territorial banks, no longer in existence."
	Entrance, The Gray Brothers Building

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