Utica School Campus (Two Bldgs) – Utica

Current Usage:

Description:

The Utica school campus is composed of two buildings: an eight-room school/gym facility and a gymnasium/auditorium. ‘fhe school/gym building is a single story, rectangular (130′ x 80’) structure constructed of poured concrete. The roof is arched over the gym and flat over the classrooms. Parapets and pilasters decorate the building, giving it a distinct art deco flavor. Large metal casement windows extend to classroom ceilings. Front entryways are recessed.
The gym/auditorium is situated 150′ directly south of the classroom. Constructed of wood with clapboard siding, it is rectangular (60′ x 86′) with a stepped, arched roof. There are no windows; the entry is on the north end. New siding seems to have been added, but it does not impeach the architectural integrity of the building.
As rural WPA school buildings, the structures on Utica School Campus are notable because of their scale, the art deco allusion in the classroom building, and construction materials–poured concrete and wood. Within the community they are unique architecturally because of their type, style, scale, materials and workmanship. Moreover, construction of them provided work opportunities for unskilled and unemployed laborers in the region where few had existed previously, and they created a new environment conducive to learning for students theretofore deprived educationally. And the gym/auditorium provided recreational and community meeting facilities for Utica, enabling the development of a civic pride sorely lacking among residents.

VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: Lot 2, Block 6, Utica original

Sources:

1. Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination

Supported Documents:

1. WPA Properties Bryan County – Utica School Campus

Photos:

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