McKinley Park Castles - Oklahoma City, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 28.922 W 097° 32.128
14S E 632857 N 3927486
These are fascinating "castles" built by the WPA in the 1930s for recreational purposes.
Waymark Code: WMEWXN
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2012
Views: 8
McKinley Park is located two blocks west of N. Western Avenue, at N.W. 13th Street. This is a good-sized municipal park which has baseball, soccer and basketball facilities, as well as playgrounds and a sprayground for summer water fun. A large recreational center/gymnasium also operates here.
But the most fascinating thing to see, as you come in the park from the east, are two small native stone buildings constructed to look like small castles. They are located on each side of the main drive into the park. The north building is boarded up and appears to possibly have been for storage. The south building has barred windows and a few tables and chairs can still be seen inside. It was difficult to tell whether these buildings are currently in use.
The buildings are constructed of native red sandstone. Above the first floor walls, four rows of horizontal stones are laid, and above those rows, castle battlements line the roof line. On the southwest corner of the north building, and the northwest corner of the south building, towers rise above the roof line. These tower walls also have four rows of horizontal stones and cut-out battlements at the top, to simulate the defensive structure of medieval castles. These buildings are a delight, and such a surprise in this park setting.
There are no WPA markings on the buildings that we could find, however, the buildings are shown on Page 72 in the book "Leaning on a Legacy - The WPA in Oklahoma" by Marjorie Barton.
Project type: Park structure/building (other than lodge)
Date built or created: 1930s
Location: McKinley Park
City: Oklahoma City
Condition: Good upkeep with a little wear and tear
Website for additional information: Not listed
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