Former Salvation Army Citadel

Originally built in Oil City, Pennsylvania, for use by the Salvation Army in 1910, this Romanesque revival-style building is reminiscent of a fortress. While they are mere decorations, the towers on each corner of the building give the impression of majesty. Mock buttresses support a decorative overhang that mimics the protruding battlements of true castles. The harsh outlines of the bricks are softened by the half-arches of the windows. While traditional Romanesque architecture dictates the use of arches, this appears to be a hybrid which combines elements of the Romanesque revival with the hard lines and wide windows expected from storefronts of the early 1900s. However, given its overall appearance, it is fitting that locals referred to this structure as the "Salvation Army Citadel". Forty years after their initial occupancy, the local chapter of this organization grew too large to continue operations at the current site. McFate law firm expressed interest in the building, and in 1950 the Salvation Army sold it to the firm with the understanding that they could use the space until their new citadel was completed.

It seems that there was space to spare, as McFate co-habitated with multiple businesses and organizations over the years. Keller’s Millinery (a business that made and sold hats) shared the space with the law offices from 1952 to 1971, as evidenced by their ads in the local paper, The Derrick. Two organizations known as the Acacia Grotto and A-K-Shes used the third floor for their meetings from 1953-1964. These groups are smaller chapters of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. While not formally connected to the masons, membership is limited to master masons. Members receive a pin, a fez, and a membership card. The club claims to not be associated with the occult, instead being a place to build fellowship and conduct elaborately humorous rituals. A MOVPER mural may still be seen in the third floor of the citadel.

After the millinery shop and masons left, Fran Fisher moved in around 1973. He ran his auto business on the ground floor of the citadel, but left sometime in the next ten years without fanfare. Benjamin McFate (one of the brothers running the law firm) individually bought the building in 1983, and it seems as though the firm did not allow any more renters. It is possible that their law firm was finally generating enough income to allow them complete occupance of this historic building. After John McFate, the last brother in the practice, retired in 2013, the building sat vacant until the McFates donated the building to the Oil Region Alliance in 2016. The Alliance renovated the interior and opened the ground floor up to renters. Currently, the ground floor houses Senator Scott Hutchinson’s offices as well as a chapter of the American Red Cross. The second floor still contains the McFate’s records and library, whereas the third floor has remnants of MOVPER paraphernalia, as well as the mural. The stonework has held up to the test of time.

Cyphert, Dylan. “Oil Region Alliance Makes Room for Congressman G.T. Thompson.” ExploreVenango.com, Explore Your Town, Inc., 23 Feb. 2019, www.explorevenango.com/oil-region-alliance-makes-room-for-congressman-g-t-thompson/.

“ Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology - Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm.” Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia.com, 16 July 2020, www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mystic-order-veiled-prophets-enchanted-realm.

Former Salvation Army Building Assessment and Preservation Plan. Kidder Architecture & Design. July 2020.