Thank you for your response to the Lions Revisited. I, too, thought it was a strange coincidence of timing when it came to moving the lions.

My original blog about the lions ran Feb 18, 2010. I’ve copied it and it follows:

“Lions on the roof; and formerly in the yard”

Take a good look at the state Capitol building and on each of the eight corners of the roof, you will find a winged lion.

A photograph in The Oklahoman, Jan 29, 1928, tells the story of two lions that were not destined for the Capitol roof but instead found their way to the front yard of a house in the Harndale addition of Oklahoma City.

“They stand in the front yard of the oldest house in the addition, a small Spanish type home once occupied by an official of the State Capitol Building company.”

“Early in 1917, the capitol was nearing completion. About that time an anti-British movement got afoot … Objection to the lions was voiced on the grounds that they savored of King George V or perhaps Richard the Lion Hearted. Consequently two of the brutes were spared a domeless home.”

From a June 18, 1962, story we get a slightly different story of how the lions arrived in Harndale.

In 1914, when architects Solomon Layton and his partner S. Wemyes Smith were drawing up designs for the Capitol, Smith came up with the idea of having British lions perched on the Capitol.

They were made of concrete, and when they arrived, two were flawed.

Here, the story becomes a mystery as the two lions were placed at Classen Drive near NW 14. There, they guarded the Harndale neighborhood for more than 40 years.

The Harndale addition was developed by early day attorney and developer William Fremont Harn. It was Harn who donated the land where the Capitol now stands, and possibly he was given or sold the lions in appreciation of his donation.

Regardless of how they arrived, in 1962 the Harndale lions were offered for sale by the executor of the estate for “$2000 and the equipment to carry off the one-ton statues.”

I searched The Oklahoman’s archives, but have yet to find who purchased the lions and where they are now.

If anyone knows, e-mail me at mphillips@opubco.com or give me call me at (405) 475-3695.

I received several e-mails and telephone calls telling me stories about the lions and where they were now located.

I saw a drawing of what the zoo had intended for the lions and I have to admit, I think they’ve received better care with Mr. Cunningham and Cunningham Interiors than they might have with the zoo.

Thanks again,

Mary Phillips

Oh, and why do you say they lions were destined for the states Capitol? I didn’t see anything about the Capitol being involved in the rest of your blog post? Just curious.