Municipal Auditorium - WPA Project - Shawnee, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 19.862 W 096° 55.334
14S E 688846 N 3911735
A massive auditorium serving Shawnee as a community event center.
Waymark Code: WMA5W2
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/21/2010
Views: 3
This large brick auditorium with a seating capacity of 3000 was built with a WPA grant of $61,363 and the proceeds of a $75,000 municipal bond issue.
It was constructed in 1936 and has been the meeting place for Shawnee citizens for decades, at sporting events, concerts, movies, dances, conventions and the like.
The high-ceiling, gymnasium-like auditorium has concrete bleachers along three sides and a full stage on the north end. The two building wings have offices and are the home of the Shawnee Senior Center and the Shawnee Economic Development organization (COEDD).
A cornerstone to the left of the main entrance shows that it was laid by the M.W. Grand Lodge in 1936.
This property appears in the WPA-published "A Guide to the Sooner State, 1941" (page 196) which reads: The Municipal Auditorium, 400 N. Bell Avenue, in the center of downtown Shawnee, is a modern red-brick structure with a seating capacity of 3,000. Built with a WPA grant of $61,363 and the proceeds of a $75,000 municipal bond issue, it has been a popular meeting place for conventions, because of its size and convenience. The building has complete gymnasium, basketball, indoor tennis, and stage facilities, including projection booths and sound equipment for movie showings. Two low, flat-roofed wings flank the southern entrance.