Lincoln Park Armory – Oklahoma City

Address:	2145 N.E. 36th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	County:	Oklahoma
Started:	1937	Completed:
NHRP:	No	NHRP Date:	(Checked)
Agencies:	WPA

Current Usage:

45th Infantry Division Museum

Description:

Lincoln Park Armory was completed in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration. Over the years, the armory has housed several military units of the Oklahoma Army National Guard including the 45th Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company with it’s last tenant the Oklahoma National Guard Officer Candidate School. [1]

Although often referred to as the Lincoln Park armory, that name was a misnomer as these articles from The Oklahoman show.

This description from Dec. 27, 1936, explains:

Oklahoma City didn’t get one of the 51 armories built in Oklahoma by the works progress administration, but it got a fine officers headquarters building which is nearing completion. The building of native stone, is on city property in Lincoln park, just off the bridal path east of Eastern Avenue and at the south end of the park. Cost of construction was $40,000, but this does not include furnishings, financing of which has not been arranged. WPA workmen quarried the stone on state property. The two-story structure, which is to be headquarters for army officers in the city and is to be available for National Guard officers and meetings of veterans groups, probably will be dedicated early next spring. It is not expected that furnishings will be installed in time for use of the building this winter. A feature of the building will be the facilities for instruction of junior officers, which the guard now lacks.

An article on May 6, 1937, explained a bit more:

Snugly secluded amid the verdant shrubs of Lincoln Park, works progress administration project No. 1155 is ready at last for military fun and frolic.

Let there be no further confusion on the subject, for WPA officials blasted the mystery about No. 1155 Wednesday. It is a soldiers’ playhouse and it cost the taxpayers $42,000.[2]

This building is currently used as the 45th Infantry Division Museum.