Wednesday, March 24, 2010

 Domeless for nearly a century, Oklahoma's Capitol is the premier legacy of Solomon Andrew Layton, early-twentieth-century architect who richly influenced the state's built environment. Layton practiced architecture in Oklahoma for forty-one years, heading a firm from 1902 until his death in 1943.The National Register of Historic Places lists twenty-two Layton-designed buildings, a statewide record unlikely to be broken. Important as the Capitol itself is the powerful influence of Layton's works, setting a standard of stability and design that continued sixty years after his death. His contribution to Oklahoma City's building heritage became evident in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Eleven major downtown buildings that sustained damage yet remained structurally sound are designs of Layton and his partners. Seven of these are on the National Register.