Oklahoma County Courthouse - Oklahoma City, OK - WPA Projects on Waymarking.com

The Oklahoma County Courthouse was constructed in 1936-1937 as a Public Works Administration project at a cost of $1.5 million. Designed by the well-respected firm of Layton & Forsyth, it is an Art Deco construction of Indiana limestone, with touches of the "new" material available in that day - aluminum.

The south-facing main entrance has Cold Spring Minnesota granite steps and wing walls, with cast aluminum and etched glass lights atop each wing wall. The building is three stories to the east and west, and then soars in an additional ten story tower. The entrance has four metal-framed glass doors, recessed with stepped-back pilasters of black granite. Above the doors is a set of tall aluminum panels with a floral pattern. Above these panels is an etched quotation from Abraham Lincoln, and above that, a bas-relief mural depicting a panorama of the State's history.

The interior of the building on all levels is filled with decorative images of Oklahoma. The main lobby is two stories with a terrazzo flour with a compass design. There are abstract wagon wheel chandeliers with third-floor overlooks. Marble and plaster symbols in various parts of the building show Oklahoma's agricultural background, with corn and wheat. Its ranching history is depicted by a bull and bison. In the courtrooms are bas-relief images of early justice, with scenes of tribal justice and frontier lawmen. There are eight two-story courtrooms on the seventh and eight floors.

On the south facade, there are engravings with quotations from George Washington and Samuel Adams. A large county office building, built in 1965, stands directly north of the courthouse, and is connected by an overhead walkway. [Details of the history of this building were found in the NRHP nomination.]

Documentation of the New Deal connection to this building is found in the National Register of Historic Places nomination application - Page 8 (visit link)

Project type: Government building (non-park) Date built or created: 1936-37 Location: Downtown Oklahoma City City: Oklahoma City Condition: Pristine condition Website for additional information: Not listed

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