Solomon Andrew Layton (1864-2/6/1943)

Solomon Andrew Layton was born in Lucas County, Iowa, in 1864. After his schooling was completed, he apprenticed for an architect in Red Oak, Iowa, before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, to continue his work in the field. He worked in architecture in Denver before participating in the 1893 Oklahoma Land Run to claim land in the Cherokee Strip. He stayed in Oklahoma for a few years and then moved briefly to Texas and Colorado again before taking up residence in El Reno in 1902. He moved his business headquarters to Oklahoma City in 1905.

Over the years, Layton had several business partners, starting with S. Wemyss-Smith. Layton and Wemyss-Smith designed the Oklahoma State Capitol, the crown jewel of a career marked with numerous significant buildings sprinkled throughout Oklahoma. Later partners included George Forsyth, Jewell Hicks, and James W. Hawk. Altogether, they produced over one hundred buildings and twelve homes. Among those buildings were sixteen county courthouses and forty-six structures for Oklahoma City Schools. The Oklahoma City Schools Administration Building was one of the forty-six buildings created over a long career in school architecture. Other notable Layton designs are the Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoman Building, Oklahoma City Central High School, the Creek County Courthouse, and the State Penitentiary in McAlester.

Solomon Layton passed away on February 6th, 1943, in Oklahoma City.