Architectural Antiques

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Feb 15, 2002 by Matt Maile The Journal Record

The stone gargoyles on the floor and the red terra cotta masonry might fit into any of Europe's historic buildings, but in Jack Smithschick's Oklahoma City warehouse, they make up what has become a thriving business in architectural antiques.

His 50,000-square-foot warehouse is home to Architectural Antiques, 1900 Linwood Blvd. In it rests a collection of building remnants: old wood paneling, antique elevator cars, and stained- glass windows that once adorned Victorian and Art Deco buildings.

This year, buyers for the antique items are expected to fuel another strong year of sales for Smithschick, who predicts revenue growth of more than 20 percent year over year.

"I think it is important for Oklahoma City to preserve these pieces, just because we don't have that much left," the entrepreneur said from his warehouse office.

As a 1960s student of art history at Louisiana State University, Smithschick took a summer job salvaging the antique features of older buildings.

He said that experience turned into work in the 1970s collecting architectural pieces, where he met and formed an alliance with other dealers who shared the same fascination for the business.

Now he runs his own business, traveling as far as Europe to buy Victorian building facades, columns, pilasters, capitals and other architectural features.

He moved to the Linwood location after outgrowing an earlier storefront in Bricktown.

"There are only about 15 of us in America that do architecturals on this scale, and everybody knows each other," he said.

If a building is being demolished, a lot of times Smithschick and other dealers in the business will converge on the property to work with the contractor to remove the pieces.

The search for artifacts has taken him to St. Louis, Cincinnati and Kansas City and more and more, to Europe.

"You're starting to see buildings over there (in Europe) coming down, because that neat two- or three-story Victorian building is where a nice high-tech company needs eight or 10 stories," Smithschick said.

"Those buildings in the midsized English cities are starting to be taken down, and they'll save the bricks, they'll save the roof, they'll save the beams."

From his warehouse, Smithschick's collection of architectural antiques has become a source of material for restoration experts in historic neighborhoods and local businesses. Customers seeking wrought-iron garden gates or Victorian fireplace mantles often turn to Smithschick for help.

Among his customers are Stillwater entrepreneur Stan Clark, owner of Eskimo Joe's and other themed restaurants, and Jim Brewer, owner of the Santa Fe Depot train station in downtown Oklahoma City.

One of the most visible displays of Smithschick's work is inside the Santa Fe station, where Art Deco hanging lamps adorn the restored interior entry.

Once a dilapidated building stripped of its interior wall paneling and fixtures, owner Jim Brewer has invested in the property to restore the building. Brewer brought in Smithschick, who used his connections among architectural antiques dealers to locate the original Art Deco aluminum light fixtures that now hang in the station.

Smithschick will replace items that cannot be recovered with replicas formed in his warehouse.

"I like the history and the art and the challenge" of finding and preserving antique architecture, he said.

"I enjoy taking the stuff out of the buildings, seeing it carefully removed."

Smithschick said that while finding the pieces he sells is a pleasure, having them installed in local buildings where people can see them has been rewarding.

Visitors to Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City will see dozens of Smithschick's architectural pieces built into retailer Joe's Clothes. Inside are two 10-foot iron lamp posts and stamped copper interior ceilings.

Along one wall, the store showcases a large oak shelf and cabinet removed from an older property.

In residential neighborhoods, owners of historic homes have begun to turn to Smithschick for authentic period items. Strict city rules on external renovation of Historic District properties has generated demand by builders for replacement parts for older homes that cannot be found easily elsewhere.

In one home in Oklahoma City's Crown Heights Historic Preservation District, an English Tudor-style house is undergoing major renovations.

A study in the two-story brick home features dark oak paneling and a hand-carved fireplace mantle provided by Smithschick that is more than 200 years old.

Outside, a modern red brick fence features limestone and terra cotta inlays of human and animal figures pulled from among Smithschick's warehouse trove.

Back at his warehouse, other architectural items remain tucked away.

In one section of the building, Smithschick has begun to build what will be a two-story, eight-room house. He is building the house in sections that will later be moved and assembled on the homeowner's property.

At the new homeowner's request, Smithschick said he is building the house solely from timbers and remnants of salvaged or demolished buildings.