Harper's Valley Baptist Church - Pittsburg County, OK
N 34° 42.986 W 095° 59.246
15S E 226410 N 3845661
The former Harper's Valley School is now home to the Harper's Valley Baptist Church at 33 Harper Valley Cemetery Rd, about six miles west of Kiowa, OK.
Waymark Code: WM19987
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 12/30/2023
Views: 1
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Oklahoma's New Deal website has a page for the school in the "Works Progress Administration in Oklahoma/Pittsburg County WPA" section, including a pair of black and white photos of the building, a link to its Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination (see Web Site), and another link to data from Oklahoma State University about the property. The latter notes its significance in the Landmarks program as, "The Property is architecturally significant as a WPA-style schoolhouse", citing the Oklahoma State Department of Education Pattern Book as the architect/builder. The Nomination Form provides a description:
Originally a two-room building, the old Harper Valley school is a single story, rectangular (56' x 27') structure with an offset constructed of rusticated and coursed native sandstone. Covered with composition shingles, the roof is gabled with one step; two of three doors are recessed behind archways. Window openings with concrete sills have been reduced in size with wood inserts, which enclose metal sash windows. These alterations and an adjacent but unattached building do not impeach the integrity of the structure.
The school building represented the genesis of modern education in the valley, replacing deteriorated and outdated wood facilities. Architecturally the building is unique in the community because of its type, style, scale, materials and workmanship. It continues to be well maintained, and as a church meeting house is an excellent example of adaptive reuse. Significantly, construction of the school building provided work opportunities for laborers hard hit by the depression in the rural and remote Harper Valley area, providing some economic security and self esteem.<p
They do mention that the school was constructed in 1939, but there is no indication as to when it closed, whether it had a PTA, or when the church moved in. The grounds are well-maintained, and the congregation is quite active, meeting on Sunday at 11 AM. Take your pick on "Harper" or "Harper's", as you'll see both.