Pyeatt's, J. J., General Store
Off OK 33, Custer, OKJ.H. Pyeatt's General Store is significant because it is one of the best extant examples of Plains Commercial architecture in Custer City, Oklahoma. Built in 1905, Pyeatt's impressive two-story brick building provided tangible evidence that Custer City was prospering. Pyeatt's General Store provided a variety of dry goods and other finished products to the community. The second floor of the building served, a variety of functions over the years. Originally, Pyeatt resided above his store. An opera hall, a roller skating rink, and a movie theater have also been housed in the upper story.
During the early 1920s, Pyeatt sold the front half of his store to Henry Harmon, who moved into his drugstore. In the early 1930s, Pyeatt went out of business and his half of the building became a beer tavern. Austin Veetch, a local businessman, purchased both the tavern and drugstore. Veetch operated these businesses until 1960. Since 1960, the building has been vacant and has deteriorated until the interior second floor collapsed.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.