Architecture
Original architects drawing of the Capitol by Solomon Layton.
Solomon Layton
Celebrated architect Solomon Layton was the original architect for
the Oklahoma State Capitol which was constructed between 1914 and
1917 in the classic Greco-Roman (also known as neo-classical) style
for a mere $1.5 million. The Capitol building is mainly composed
of white limestone with a base of Oklahoma pink granite. Layton's original
plans called for a domed Capitol, but the outbreak of WWI and state
financial woes delayed construction. The dome was completed in 2002
according to Layton’s original designs, a full 85 years after
the construction of the State Capitol.
Other Oklahoma City buildings designed by Layton include the Skirvin Hotel, the Capitol Power Plant (now the home of the Attorney General’s offices) and the Mid-Continent Life Insurance Company building. Layton also designed many buildings around the state including the Marland's Grand Home in Ponca City and the Fine Arts Building on the campus of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva.