Oklahoma County Courthouse – Oklahoma City

Current Usage:

County Property

Description:

The south-facing main entrance has Cold Spring Minnesota granite steps and wing walls, with cast aluminum and etched glass lights atop each wing wall. The building is three stories to the east and west, and then soars in an additional ten story tower…Above these panels is an etched quotation from Abraham Lincoln, and above that, a bas-relief mural depicting a panorama of the State’s history.

The interior of the building on all levels is filled with decorative images of Oklahoma…Marble and plaster symbols in various parts of the building show Oklahoma’s agricultural background, with corn and wheat. Its ranching history is depicted by a bull and bison. In the courtrooms are bas-relief images of early justice, with scenes of tribal justice and frontier lawmen.On the south facade, there are engravings with quotations from George Washington and Samuel Adams.”   [2]

The Oklahoma County Courthouse, built in 1936-37, is a thirteen-story building constructed of Indiana limestone. 1 The stepped-back massing, base relief murals, and abstract floral/corn ornamentation executed in aluminum exemplify the Art Deco style. Sited alone on a landscaped block of downtown Oklahoma City’s Civic Center, the courthouse is surrounded by modern high-rise and historic buildings, including the Municipal Building/City Hall, the Municipal Auditorium, the Center Theatre, and the Harbour Longmire Building (NR, 1980). The Oklahoma County Courthouse possesses an unusually high degree of architectural integrity.[3]

Built using a combination of bond issue monies and PWA funding this 11 floor concrete building is designed in Art Deco architectural style by Layton & Forsyth firm with the primary architect being Solomon Layton. It replaced the original courthouse that was built in 1900s that was located at the intersection of California and Robinson. The courhouse annex located to the north of the courthouse

Sources:

1. Wikipedia
2. The Living New Deal
3. National Register of Historic Places
4. Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination
5. Oklahoma County District Court Website, History
6. Courthouses.co

Supported Documents:

1. National Register of Historic Places Support Document
2. National Register of Historic Places Nomintion Form

Photos:

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