1936 - Anadarko Armory - Anadarko, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 04.393 W 098° 15.231
14S E 568027 N 3881417
The Anadarko Armory, constructed in 1936 as a WPA project, is currently out of service, having been deeded to the City by the Oklahoma Military Department.
Waymark Code: WMD26K
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/08/2011
Views: 3
This armory, built to house three military units, contains 23,000 square feet and was one of the largest built by the WPA in Oklahoma. Constructed of local Oklahoma red brick, it is T-shaped with a large central drill area that has a barrel roof. Extending out from this area, to the north, south and west are one-story wings which contain offices, areas for storage, and a garage. The main entrances face east. Above each window on the north, south and east are columns of vertically-placed brick adding to the vertical look of the building. All windows and the overhead doors are original.
The building is 230 feet north-south, and 145 feet east-west and stands adjacent to Randlett Park. It was designed by architect, Bryan W. Nolen who designed many of Oklahoma’s WPA-built armories. Above each of the two main entrances is a stepped parapet with projected pilasters rising to square-topped towers. A concrete block at the center reads: “OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARD 1936”.
At waist height, to the right of one of the main entrances, a large concrete cornerstone reads:
STATE
ARMORY
BUILT BY
WORKS PROGRESS
ADMINISTRATION
1936
W. S. KEY
STATE ADMINISTRATOR
The armory was originally built to house three units of the 45th Infantry. It was the Regiment Headquarters for the 158th Field Artillery, as well as home to Company B of the 158th Field Artillery and Company F of the 120th Quartermaster Regiment.
This year, the armory was deeded from the Oklahoma Military Department to the city of Anadarko, as part of the Guard's long-term plans to consolidate its area facilities to Fort Sill. The city is working with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to assess and conduct remediation of the facility, including the abatement of asbestos, lead paint and lead hazards from an indoor firing range. The city council has identified several potential uses for the armory, including a home for its public works operations or a community center.
The armory was placed on the National Register of History Places in 1994 (#94000479
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