"Downtown OKC 1977" as this page's title is perhaps a misnomer. I've chosen "1977" as the year since the marquee event signaling the end of "old" downtown occurred with the destruction of the Biltmore Hotel in 1977. Buildings razed during this period include about 1/5th to 2/5ths of downtown Oklahoma City, including, but not limited to: Baum, Biltmore, Brown's, Campbell, Commerce Exchange, Cooper Theater, Criterion Theater, Goodholm, Hales, Herskowitz, Kingkade Hotel, Mellon, Midwest Theater, Patterson, Sears, State Theater, State National, YWCA, and others. These destructions were well intentioned, even though the resurrection of downtown Oklahoma City would take many more years than were then expected. Ironically, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, built in 1977, would also be destroyed, but for evil and malevolent purposes by terrorists in 1995. Several fine buildings were built during this decade, but they are shown in the "current" pages.

John A. Brown’s

Brown’s Gone

Biltmore Going

Biltmore Going

Biltmore Gone

Murrah Up

Murrah Up

JOHN A. BROWN Brown's Department Store occupied much of a whole city block and was a delight! It was one of many victims of the 1970s Urban Renewal.

JOHN A. BROWN Only the memories remain!

BILTMORE HOTEL The Biltmore Hotel, on the Southeast corner of Sheridan & Harvey, suffered a similar fate ...

BILTMORE HOTEL ... as the building imploded upon itself.

BILTMORE HOTEL Only the memories remain!

MURRAH BUILDING The 1977 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, between Harvey and Robsinon on the East and West, NW 5th & 4th Streets on the North and South. This picture shows the North side, taken from NW 5th Street, looking East. My pages do not explore the bombing of this building in 1995. For that, see the source for these two images, the Oklahoma City National Memorial website.

MURRAH BUILDING The 1977 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, between Harvey and Robsinon on the East and West, NW 5th & 4th Streets on the North and South. This picture shows the South side, taken from NW 4th Street, looking Northeasterly. The now destroyed YWCA building, built in 1948 and shown in the 1940's images, appears at the right side.

My pages do not explore the bombing of this building in 1995. For that, see the source for these two images, the Oklahoma City National Memorial website.