The Brockway Center and the Lyons Mansion became recipients of a grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation last summer.
Credit: Alexa Ace
Activist Maude Brockway began her career as a schoolteacher and milliner in the Ardmore area. In 1910 she moved to Oklahoma City with her husband and became a founding member of the Oklahoma Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. The organization focused on civil rights, education and advancement of African American girls.
The Brockways were active in real estate and owned several properties. The original location of the center, located on NE 4th St., was established by Mrs. Brockway and the City Federation. A second building nearby was later purchased, eventually housing a library, free clinic, and a place of fundamental learning.
The Federation's growth led to the purchase of the building known as the Brockway Center at 1440 N. Everest. Built in 1915, the building has always served an important purpose. As the Maroon Society states, it was a haven for minorities and women, a place where women's rights and anti-lynching efforts were established, and a safe place during segregation.
Credit: News 9
Credit: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture
Credit: www.lustermansion.com
The mansion in Deep Deuce was built by Sidney Daniel Lyons, an entrepreneur in multiple industries - grocery, cosmetics, real estate, and oil. After moving from Texas in the 1890s, he opened a restaurant and grocery store in Guthrie. He and his family then moved to Oklahoma City, where they opened a grocery store, established the East India Toilet Goods and Manufacturing Company, and invested in commercial property. The company's products were successfully marketed on a national level. One of the most popular was the East India Hair Grower, a hair tonic originally named the Texas Wonder.
Behind the main house is a matching smaller building where the cosmetics firm once was. The residence was built in the late 1920s and was listed in the National Register of Historic places in 1983.
Credit: Nikki Nice
Free Lunch on Fat Tuesday!
No need to RSVP, come out and enjoy C'est Si Bon and Taste of Soul Chicken and Waffles at no extra cost!
OKCMARLA 2021 Application Deadline is Approaching!
OKCMAR Leadership Academy Chair Sharyl Pickens encourages you to apply to be in the class of 2021! Deadline is Monday, February 22nd.
