New Long-Bell Retail Lumber Plant at Oklahoma City

Splendid, delightful, remarkable, may seem strong adjectives misused when applied to a lumber plant, but more c,onservative praise for the new Long-Bell retail plant at Oklahoma City somehow seems lacking in truthfulness and appreciation.

A Long-Bell yard was established in Oklahoma City over 26 years ago. On May 2lst, last, the yard located on West Grand Avenue burned to the ground. In order to take care of the trade while a new plant was being built, another yard was acquired. In a little more than ninety days time an exceptionally modern lumber plant was planned, built and stocked. It was occupied September 15th, and its one of the walls is of stucco on hollow tile. but this is finished in harmony with the woodrvork.

Plate glass display windows eight feet high span the entire width of the administration building and customers' room. Floors of the display windows have a depth of six feet. The back paneling is of Douglas Fir veneer in walnut finish. At the time these windows were photographed they held a display of samples of all the commonly used woods as well as a built-in-the-wall breakfast set and bath room and telephone cabinets. Miniature buildings which won substantial first and second prize cash awards in a Manual Training student contest carried on by manager formal opening celebrated October 19th. We have seen many_ modern lumber yards, many more costly than this new Long-Bell plant, but few if any so complete, efficient and-yes-delightful.

This plant is located at the intersection of two principal thorofares is a fast growing community center and residential section of the city. One's first impression of the plant is of immaculate whiteness and orderliness. Built eniirelv of wood and painted superwhite it is an outstanding testimonial to the virtue of wood as a building material. Neat company signs in gold profile letters on i background of black smalt glass add to the attractiveness. Because of a gasoline filling station adjoining, and a city ordinance,

L. F. Broderson at Oklahoma City rvere also used in the window display.

The first impression of the interior of the customers' room is that of spaciousness and beauty. Made-on-thejob display cases for hardware and paint are of the new Grainart Douglas Fir, finished a driftwood gray. The hardware display occupies one side of the room and the paint display and stock the other. Under the hardware counter are sliding drawers for nails in tiers, three high the entire length of the counter, wlrich have a capacity of 200 kegs of nails. The trim is of Grainart and Douglas Fir finished to produce a color harmony which is very pleasing. This room has a width of approximately 40 feet and a depth of 50 feet. The point of first contact- with the customer entering this room is at the order desk near the entrance. Seen aithis desk is what might be mistaken for an ordertaker clerk but that title does not quite cover the case. The man at this desk will gladly take your order, but he with +CELLized strip oak flooring. The upper portion of the passageway walls are of stippled Marblecote. is interested chiefly in seeing that your lumber bill carries the necessary hardware and paint' Deeper in the room is the information desk and switchboard in charge of a soft-voiced operator who will connect you with any of the eighteen telephones that serve the retail plant and the adJoining I-ong-Bell sash and door factory. Other desks are at the rear of the customers' room which has access through a wall recess to the Accounting Department and by pivoted ground glass sash to the manager's office. This room is finished and furnished in good taste and will impress the customer most agreeably.

Manager Broderson's office is trimmed in gum given a rubbed walnut finish and is truly beautiful. The floor is of the new *CELLized oak blocks laid in the wing or diagonal pattern. The walls which are of stippled Marblecoti of a- gray green background high lighted in gold are strikingly handsome. There are three pivoted ground glass windows which give the manager a view of the entire iustomers' room. Directly across the passageway from the manager's offrce is the entrance to the modernly equipped Accounting Department and vaults. Further along ihe passageway are the rooms for the division manager, Jesse B. -Davis, and of the Architectural Deqartment ivhich is in charge of R. E. Stuart. The architectural service afiorded by Long-Bell at this point is, and has been for many years, a prominent feature of the service to the home builder. Preliminary sketches, finished working plans and material lists are provided. N.othing -is left undone to assist the customer to build satisfactorily according to his requirements. The architectural room is well equipped.

Reference to the ground plan shown will aid in getting an adequate idea of the size of this plant, its arrangement and convenience of the customers' room, accounting and other offices, yard alleys and stocks. This plan, however, does not show the Long-Bell sash, door and woodwork factory employing about thirty people under the management of Robert A. Finley. This. sash, door and millwork plant which adjoins the new retail plant is one of the largest and best equipped in the Southwest. Besides extensive stocks of sash, doors and millwork they manufacture all special woodwork for which they have call. Three hundred and twenty feet of trackage services both the sash and door house and the retail plant so that lumber, lime, cement and other building material are unloaded direct from the cars.

Executive and accounting offices, architectural room, toilets and wrap room of the retail plant are arranged on either side of a passageway leading back from the center of the customers' room. This passage is floored

The variety of woods and finishes used in the clifferent rooms on interior trim and walls provides the builder a demonstration and display from which he can choose the doo-r patterns, and the kind and style of trim and finish he prerers.

At this time the business of the plant is being handled by about twenty-five persons. The motor equipment in- cludes eight trucks, all but one being of the heavy duty type.

Before we leave the offices we should mention that they are equipped with a most modern heating system trnder thermostat control. Gas burning steam boilers automatically maintain the desired temperature in winter. Electric harmony with the balance of the room. Display window and outdoor sign lights are under automatic time clock control. So no attention need be given to illumination and room temperature.

Anyone at all familiar with Long-Bell management is prepared to find everything about their yards in readiness

Paint Department fans working back of steam coils force the heated air into all parts of the room. Hot air openings are high up in the wall and cold air openings next to the floor. Electric ceiling and wall fans and ample window ventilation moderate summer temperature. Lighting fixtures are in color