Jenks School Bus Barn and Fence – Jenks

Current Usage:

School Property (Police station)

Description:

A single story, rectangular (33′ x 84′) structure, the Jenks bus barn is constructed of cut and lightly rusticated native stone blocks laid in courses with some block placed vertically for visual relief. The roof is flat with parapets. The barn has six bus stalls entered through garage door openings. Three of the latter as well as window openings have been inclosed with wood inserts. This minor alteration has not impeached the integrity of the building.
Extending 245 feet west and then 200 feet north of the bus barn is the fence. It is 6 feet high and 18 inches thick (double walled) and is constructed of materials identical with the barn. Pilasters at gate openings have decorative caps and bases of pre-formed concrete.
Not all that many WPA-built bus barns have survived, a fact that makes the structure at Jenks significant. Moreover, the WPA did not construct all that many–which makes the Jenks barn particularly rare. The building also demonstrates the rich variety of construction projects undertaken by the agency. The adjacent fence is particularly notable because of its quality of masonry, a quality that makes the fence almost a work of art. Together the bus barn and fence are unique architecturally within the community in terms of type, style, and workmanship. They are the only WPA-constructed buildings that retain their initial integrity. Of course, construction of the barn and fence provided needed jobs and a rekindled self-esteem for those workers who had been made destitute by the depression.

VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: Beginning at the intersection of 3rd and B streets, go east 75 feet, north 65 feet, west 100 feet, south 45 feet, west 255 feet, north 210 feet, west 20 feet, south 230 feet and east to the point of beginning, all in SE 1/4, SE 1/4, and NW 1/4 of Sec. 19, T 18 E, R 13 N.

Sources:

1. Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination

Supported Documents:

1. WPA Properties Tulsa County – Jenks Bus Barn and Fence

Photos:

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