Wolleson-Nicewander Building

The Wolleson-Nicewander Building, also known as the Triton Insurance Company Building, was built in 1900, and is within the Perry Courthouse Square Historic District. Its builder, T. E. Wollenson, was a sailor and merchant who had immigrated from Denmark, and settled in Perry. Wollenson bought a lot on the north side of what is now called Courthouse Square. He then built a two-story building, that soon housed the Nicewander Clothing store. Later occupants included a dry goods store, a tire and auto supply store, and an insurance company headquarters.HistoryThe building was first occupied by T. E. Wollenson. According to Waymarking.com's description of this building, Wollenson opened his Boston Dry Goods Store on the lower floor, and operated it there until 1910. Mr. Nicewander later had a clothing store there, followed by N. C. Chapman who had a dry goods store, and then by P. Scobill who had a tire and auto supply store. In the 1960s the building became the headquarters of the Triton Insurance Group. The company redecorated the outside and inside of the building, including adding a huge map of the state of Oklahoma, still visible on its east side (photo below) The Triton Insurance Group left Perry in 1974.DescriptionThe building footprint covers a plot that is 150feet by 100feet. The address is 615 Delaware in Perry. and included several naval motifs on the building (photos below). It is two stories, constructed of red brick and sandstone, in a Richardsonian Romanesque style. Four elongated vertical windows provide ventilation to the second floor rooms. Black-painted wrought iron railings provide some protection to the windows. A large double door with a horseshoe "rosette" on its top provide access to the building,Originally, the facade of the first floor resembled that of the second floor, except that it was covered with a more modernistic light concrete veneer over the original red brick and sandstone. The second story retains the Romanesque arches and decorated lintels, which are supported by colonnettes. Each colonnette has a lion's head, reminiscent of the carved figureheads which adorned the prows of old seagoing vessels.