| Address: | W 1st Street, Shattuck, Oklahoma 73858 | County | Ellis |
| Started | Completed | ||
| Agencies: | WPA | NRHP: | No |
Current Usage
Description:
The Shattuck Waterworks consists of two structures: a pumphouse (23′ x 17′) constructed of red brick and an adjacent round water storage tank (65′ in diameter) constructed of poured cement. The pumphouse roof is flat with parapets and false sides. The single door front entry extends from the building on the south side and is crowned by an inscribed concrete frieze. Fixed metal encased windows are singly spaced; two windows are filled with wood inserts. The water storage tank is unaltered. The architectural integrity of the structures is intact.
In a land parched by successive droughts and plagued by wind driven dust storms, a constant supply of fresh water is a significant resource. The WPA-constructed pumphouse and water storage tank at Shattuck is exceptionally significant because it provided just such a resource during the dust bowl era and continues to supply it to the frequently water-deficit community. Moreover, the waterworks project permitted the employment of destitute agricultural laborers for some 24,000 man-hours, generating revenue that provided a measure of individual economic security and that helped keep mainstreet businesses alive. The Shattuck structures are also significant because they represent a large number of water projects with which the WPA was involved in northwestern Oklahoma.[1]
VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: Located on West First Street, the property is the southeast one acre in the SE 1/4, SW 1/4 in Sec. 20, T 21 N, R 25 W.
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