LAWTON – Monday afternoon, members of Lawton Heritage Association met to coordinate reopening the Historic Mattie Beal Home, located at the intersection of SW 5th Street and SW Summit Avenue.
Under normal circumstances, in addition to opening its doors to area third-grade students, tours from soldiers’ families during graduation ceremonies at nearby Fort Sill and the general public, the popular venue is reserved for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, teas, dinners, reunions and other special events.
After closing for the holiday season, the Mattie Beal Home traditionally reopens the first Thursday of February. However, in the interest of protecting public health and to investigate cleaning and sanitizing products that will not affect the estate of one of Lawton’s first socialite families, the board of directors decided to postpone reopening the facilities until April 1.
Sanitizing wipes containing bleach may ruin finishes on wooden doors, handrails, tabletops, chairs, fainting couches and other furnishing that are integral to the home’s nostalgic setting.
“We all take care of the home as if it is our own,” agreed Sharon Stephen, LHA president, and board member Abby DeBaca agreed.
Before statehood, Ms. Beal won the 160-acre plot of land during the 1901 Land Lottery. The telephone operator from Kansas was drawn second of more than 164,000 men and women who registered for the lottery. Taking possession of the tract of land that extends from Lee Boulevard northward to the alleyway between I and J streets, and from Railroad Street westward to 11th Street, she suddenly became a wealthy Oklahoma landowner.
News of the young woman’s newfound wealth gained the attention of hundreds of eligible bachelors, many of whom wrote letters and included scads of marriage proposals, sources say.
Local businessman Charles Payne became Beal’s suitor. She and Payne were wed in July 1902 and to the couple were born three daughters: LaHoma, Louisa and Martha Helen.
The couple built the three-bedroom, two-bath mansion adorned in “Neoclassical Greek Revival style elements” and “Baroque ornamentation.” Original blueprints, which are currently on display at the home, include a vestibule complete with a curved wooden and glass door, reception hall, parlor, grand staircase and its original kitchen. Added later was a more modern second kitchen to be used during special events.
Before the hustle and bustle of Lawton’s heyday, visitors of the home enjoyed vistas of the Wichita Mountains to the northeast and grasses of the rolling prairie lands swaying in the Oklahoma breeze as Lawton progressed. Beal herself was quite the artist who drew and painted the vast landscape as well as pictures of her daughters.
Beal sold and/or donated much of the land, retaining the original homestead, which is where the home was built between 1907 and 1910. The Beal Addition includes Lawton’s Lincoln Elementary School, Union Park as well as a park in Beal’s honor.
After her death, the home changed hands and had fallen in disrepair. Eventually, the property was scheduled to be torn down to make way for urban renewal. However, in 1973, several concerned citizens formed Lawton Heritage Association to protect the historical and cultural aspects of Lawton, the organization’s literature reads.
In 1975, the home was listed in the National Register of Historic Places; five years later the Historic Mattie Beal Home was dedicated and opened to the public.
In three years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1,400 visitors, not including the number of area 3rd grade students who learn more about Oklahoma history, visited the home annually.
Last year, mandates put in place to contend with the coronavirus’ rising numbers forced the Beal Home to shutter its doors. “We were open approximately 32 days last year and had about 40 visitors,” LHA board member Sylvia Moore gravely stated.
With those numbers dwindling, the organization is seeking new fundraising opportunities and has mentioned hosting a membership drive to preserve not just the Beal Home, but Comanche County’s “sites of historical and cultural significance,” states the organization’s literature.
“The City of Lawton contributes a small amount from the hotel/motel tax, usually about $6,400,” said Yuri Schendel, past president of LHA. “This year those funds were cut to $3,200,” she added.
Operating expenses – utilities, groundskeeping, maintenance and supplies – are all funded by tours, fundraising events and donations.
Adding to the financial woes of the 114-year-old historic landmark, recent snowmelt revealed signs of roof damage. After further investigation, repairs to its terra cotta tile roof as well as some interior walls and ceilings are needed. The board is awaiting contractor estimates for the project with hopes to get the repairs done before the home reopens next month.
All four board members at the meeting are retired schoolteachers from Lawton and Cache schools, each serving more than 30 years in education. “We get to continue what we are passionate about: educating others,” said Mrs. Schendel.
More about Lawton Heritage Association and the Historic Mattie Beal Home is available at http://www.law- tonheritage.org or via email at lawtonheritageassociation. inc@gmail.com.