Pottawatomie County Courthouse - Shawnee, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 19.849 W 096° 55.388
14S E 688765 N 3911709
A grand three-story stone courthouse which is a focal point of Pottawatomie County.
Waymark Code: WMA6FM
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/23/2010
Views: 3
"The Pottawatomie County Courthouse, in the 300 block of N. Broadway, built in 1934 [cornerstone shows 1935],
is a three-story-and-basement building fronting on Broadway, with Woodland Park at its back. Simple and modern in design, it has a base of black Missouri limestone which supports walls of Indiana limestone, trimmed at the corners in terra cotta. Its facade is ornamented with spandrels of aluminum; and above the granite front steps are plaques that picture the Indian, the Pioneer, and Justice. Inside, a wide, two-way branching stairway of warm-tinted marble leads to an elaborate mezzanine; from it opens the high-ceilinged modernistic courtroom with wainscoting of oriental walnut. The architect was A.C. Davis." [Oklahoma: The Story of the Sooner State, 1941]
This is a beautiful example of Art Deco architecture, unusual for courthouses in Oklahoma. The main entrance is elevated above ground level, with a broad flight of granite stairs leading to three sets of double doors, separated by fluted stone panels. The building name is constructed of raised lettering.
A partial attic used to house the county jail, however, a new jail was constructed on Highway 177 in 2005. The building houses the County offices, including the District Court, and all public records. The building is open Monday to Friday from 8:00-5:00.