The Centennial may be long over, but Jack and I believe that Dennis Church's "then and now" photo collection should not be forgotten simply because it's now 2009. Two years ago Church's collection captivated visitors to the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library. The “now” photographs were taken from the same spot and at the same angle as the “then” pictures, which were taken decades ago

Dennis has generously agreed to let www.okchistory.com become the collection's permanent home. Over the next few weeks we will be adding the photos to our archives with a permanent link to be added in the near future. For now, be looking for "then and now" under OKC History's Attic.

Enjoy!

About today's offering:

W.M. Longmire and J.F. Harbour started Harbour-Longmire furniture in 1910 when Oklahoma City's population stood at 64,000 and the suburbs were considered to be somewhere along NW 13 and Broadway. The company originally started with a two-story building along Grand Avenue and continued to grow over the the ensuing years. In 1926 the furniture business opened a new nine-story building at 420 W Main. Two years later the company expanded to the west and added a 10th floor. The expansion gave the 192,500-square-foot store bragging rights as one of the largest in the country. The eighth floor featured a permanent two-story Spanish mission that became a popular Oklahoma City showplace.

By 1945 Harbour and Longmire were both ready to retire and they sold the property to Spiegel, a nationwide mail-order chain. The operation was shut down in 1970 as its final owner, Dolly Madison Leasing, struggled to emerge from bankruptcy. The store was simply too big, the company stated, and downtown was no longer a popular draw for shoppers spending more of their time at suburban shopping malls like Penn Square Mall and Shepherd Mall.

A renovation into offices was started in 1980 at the height of the oil boom. The city then bought the property in 1992 for $2.9 million and renovated into offices for its engineering, planning and waste/water utilities departments.

- "Old Downtown Store to Close," The Oklahoman, March 20, 1971 

- "Harbour-Longmire Conversion Starts," The Oklahoman, Oct. 12, 1980

- "Council OKs Buying Main Place," The Oklahoman, July 20, 1992