"The Finest Home in Lawton."

    Your tour of the Mattie Beal Home will transport you back in time to the dynamic early years of the 20^th century when both Oklahoma and the city of Lawton were born.  In 1901 a spunky, gregarious young Kansas woman, Mattie Beal, registered for the Oklahoma land lottery.  Mattie Beal was the second name drawn for the Lawton district from among over 164,000 registrants, and she won the right to claim a valuable 160-acre allotment, the land on which the home now sits.  She soon subdivided some of her land into affordable lots for new settlers and donated land for Beal Heights Presbyterian Church and a school, and seven acres of land for parks.  Mattie Beal became a beloved figure in Lawton for her philanthropy and civic spirit. 

    Due to her instantaneous fame and fortune, proposals of courtship and marriage poured in from across the country, but in 1902 Mattie married the owner of a local lumberyard, Charles Warren Payne.  In 1907 they started construction on Mattie’s dream home with Neoclassical Greek Revival style elements and Baroque ornamentation with a Mediterranean style roof.  Because of its size - 14 rooms, an attic and a basement - and its location on one of the highest spots in the city, the home reigned as the architectural highlight of early Lawton.

  Over the years the exterior terra cotta ornamentation began to deteriorate and tastes in architectural styles changed.  In 1923 the Paynes undertook a major remodeling of the home.  The exterior lines were simplified and design elements modified to reflect the popular architectural style now known as Art Deco. 

   For nearly 25 years the home was not only the residence of the Paynes and their three daughters, La Homa, Louisa and Martha Helen “Peggy”, but also a social center of Lawton where the Paynes often hosted parties in the ballroom and festivities on the grounds. 

   Many of the features of the home, especially in the interior, have remained unchanged.  The unique curved front entrance door, grand staircase, Italian marble mantel, and stained glass window depicting a scene from the Wichita Mountains still captivate visitors.

   Mattie died in 1931, and Charles Payne sold the home eight years later.  In response to housing shortages in the city during World War II and the Korean War, the home was divided into apartments.  By the 1970s the house had fallen victim to vandalism and neglect and faced the prospect of demolition.  In 1974 the Lawton Heritage Association purchased the home, began a series of efforts to restore it, and had it placed on the National Register of Historic Places.   Recently it has undergone an extensive refurbishing, and visitors can once again recapture the gaiety and optimism that filled the home over a hundred years ago.

Living History through Lawton’s Mattie Beal Home

Students examine the vintage feather fan during tour.

Polly Michener, LHA docent tells 4^th graders about the beautiful window.

Living History through Lawton’s Mattie Beal Home

 A project co-sponsored

by

Lawton Heritage Association,

 Lawton Public Schools and Museum of the Great Plains

Funded in part by:

A special thanks to:

 Cameron University Theater Department, LAHC  and Jackson's Laundry                                                

 Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program or publication do not necessarily represent those of OHC or NEH or other funders.  

Lawton Heritage Association’s latest project provides a unique experience for Lawton fourth graders.  Approximately 1,100 students learn about Lawton’s history in the classroom and then tour the Historic Mattie Beal Home.  The curriculum includes lesson plans, references, games and toys from the early 1900s, and an activity trunk with interesting objects.  When the students arrive at the historic home, they are greeted by Mattie Beal Payne who is portrayed by local actresses.  Mattie tells the young students about her experience in Lawton during those early years and participates in the tour. 

The program was developed by a partnership of the Lawton Heritage Association, Lawton Public Schools and the Museum of the Great Plains.  Additional funding was provided by grants from the Oklahoma Humanities Council and Lawton Arts and Humanities Council, City of Lawton, Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Emma Crowder, Margie Dees, Polly Michener and Norene Hamilton prepare for the arrival of 4^th graders.

Margie Dees portrays her grandmother, Mattie Beal, during the tours.

Eunice Porter, dressed in period costume, leads 4^th grade tour group. 

Norene Hamilton at the right talks to several students.

Heather Murr, Cameron University student, helps docents Norene Hamilton and Janey Scott prepare for tours.  Heather portrays Mattie Beal Payne during the tours telling about her experiences in early day Lawton. 

Emma Crowder tells the story behind the painting in the ballroom.

Minnette Page portrays Mattie’s friend.  She and docents are preparing for the arrival of the students.  Left to right: Emma Crowder, Betty Turner, Minnette Page, Polly Michener and Jana Brown.

Students have a great time trying on the vintage hats

What fun Mattie Beal must have had dressing up in these hats.