| Address: | Highland and Twelfth Streets, Fairview, Oklahoma | Country | Major |
| Started: | 1938 | Completed | 1940 |
| Agencies: | WPA | NRHP: | No |
Current Usage
Description:
The Major County Exhibit/Livestock Building was constructed in two segments: the exhibit facility on the north in 1938, and the livestock annex in 1940. Together the two segments are rectangular (180′ x 156′) and were constructed of poured concrete. The exhibit unit is two story, contains a flat roof with parapets, and has a distinct art deco flavor–the latter suggested by rounded corners, fixed metal encasd windows on brick sills, cube-like units, and vertical lines of opaque glass on the front. An entry of three double doors is recessed beneath a concrete awning. The exhibit segment is single story and has a flat roof of concrete that in three places is elevated above the main roof line the entire length of the building. The elevated portions of the roof cover window openings along its sides and provide ventilation for the building. There are three double doors on the north and one each on the east and west sides of this segment of the structure. Windows are filled with opaque glass and rest on brick slip sills. A small concrete block addition on the southwest corner of the building does not impeach its original architectural integrity.
The Major County Exhibit/Livestock Building is of unusual significance because of its economic and social impact upon the local community. Constructed following the devastating droughts of 1936 and 1937 that wiped out crops for two consecutive years, the project was designed to put to work destitute but unskilled agricultural workers and to revitalize the local economy. It helped to do just that, pouring wages for some 56,000 man-hours of labor into the community and providing income for families previously destitute. The facility is also significant because it meshed so completely with the agricultural profile of the county, providing space to exhibit products of the farm and to learn techniques that would improve production. Architecturally, it is notable locally and statewide for its art deco style, poured concrete construction, and type. Few WPA agricultural buildings in Oklahoma paid as much attention to academic architecture.[1]
VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: From a point 1248 feet north and 208 feet west of the SE corner of the SW 1/4 of Sec. 27, T 21 N, R 12 W, go 208 feet north, 208 feet west, 208 feet south and 208 feet east.
Sources:
- Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination
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