Murray County Courthouse (Oklahoma) - Sulphur, OK
N 34° 30.314 W 096° 58.796
14S E 685451 N 3820030
Built in 1923, the historic Murray County Courthouse is located at 1001 W Wyandotte Ave, Sulphur, OK. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Waymark Code: WMRPBR
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 07/17/2016
Views: 3
Wikipedia (see link) doesn't say much, but it's a good summary:
"The Murray County Courthouse in Sulphur, Oklahoma, on Wyandotte Avenue between W. Tenth Street and W. Eleventh Street, is a historic Classical Revival-style courthouse that was built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
It was designed by architect Jewell Hicks. It was listed on the National Register as part of a multiple property submission for numerous Oklahoma courthouses considered in a 1983 study."
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The 1983 study referenced doesn't really spend much time on this courthouse, while a single page from the nomination form is available online, noting the courthouse's importance and significance:
"The Murray County Courthouse is a two-story red and tan polychrome brick building with Neo-Classic Revival decorative elements. The front facade incorporates four concrete Tuscan columns and a series of brickwork arches above the central doorway and ground floor windows. The central section of the front facade, delineated by the columns, is slightly recessed. Two large concrete urns accent shell niches, one on either side of the front door. The arch above the new metal and glass front door features a patterned keystone and a parquet pattern of brickwork within the arch. The concrete frieze is inscribed, "MURRAY COUNTY COURT HOUSE." Above the frieze is a projecting cornice, which is surmounted by a balustraded parapet. Four decorative concrete torches highlight the parapet, one above each of the four columns of the entranceway. A doorway and window on the east side of the building have been bricked in. The concrete slab foundation exhibits some stress cracks and is in need of repair. The building has a flat roof.
Significance: 1923; Builder/Architect: Unknown/Jewell Hicks
The Murray County Courthouse is significant because of its unusual architecture and because it serves the county as the center of local government. This courthouse is the only one in Oklahoma which has such a combination of decorative elements. The brick colors are particularly attractive and the concrete urns and torches lend a faint suggestion of Neo-Egyptian Revival styling. Further Classical detailing is present in the use of columns and arches. This building's design is unique among the courthouses of Oklahoma, and it serves as a landmark in the town of Sulphur."