1934 - Grady County Courthouse - Chickasha, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 03.151 W 097° 56.189
14S E 596987 N 3879384
A beautiful Art Deco building on the National Register of Historic Places (#05000131)
Waymark Code: WMAEEF
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 01/04/2011
Views: 4
The Grady County Courthouse is located at 326 W. Choctaw Avenue. It is a three-story building, with a partial above-ground basement. The architects were Layton, Hicks and Forsyth, who designed this building in the Art Deco style, with heavy Classical Revival influence.
The building was constructed between 1934-1935 of Texas Shellstone. This is not a typical building material for courthouse construction in Oklahoma. Texas Shellstone is a layer of sediment material created thousands of years ago as an ancient sea bed. This stone contains fossilized marine life. At the southeast corner of the building is a double block marble cornerstone indicating it was laid in place in 1934. The Cornerstone reads: "Laid by/The Most Worshipful/Grand Lodge/A.L. & A.M./(masonic seal)/John J. Allan/Grand Master/A.D. 1934 A.L. 5934."
A Time Capsule, sealed on the 100th Anniversary of Chickasha is located west of the entrance, to be opened on May 5, 2042.
The main entrance faces south. This is the original double glass doors with transom and elaborate aluminum ornamentation. The historical white metal windows were replaced in the late 1990s with dark metal, three-pane hung windows, with narrow sills. A wide shellstone chimney is located on the west side of the north elevation. Fluted pilasters separate the windows, with a highly ornamented cornice. The cornice consists of a ripple pattern with narrow recessed rectangles, alternating with wider projects rectangles. Above the windows are elaborate abstract, low relief sculpture panels.
In the 1980s a two and three-story concrete block addition was added to the building at the center of the north wall. This gave additional space, as well as an elevator. A new concrete block four-story Grady County Jail is located across the alley to the north.
Year of construction: 1934
Full inscription:
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Cross-listed waymark: Not listed
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