Roff Armory - Roff, OK
N 34° 37.676 W 096° 50.563
14S E 697758 N 3833899
The old Roff Armory is located on the block bounded by Burns Ave, W Main St, N 10th St, and N 9th St, Roff, OK. It was constructed by the WPA between 1935 and 1937, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Waymark Code: WMZ307
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 09/02/2018
Views: 1
The armory was placed on the National Register for historic and architectural reasons. It is an excellent intact example of WPA architecture, and serves as a reminder of a time when the WPA helped put the locals back on their feet when they needed a hand up. Today, it is used by the Roff Public Schools as office space and also as a garage. The National Register's
Registration Form for the property is fairly detailed, indicating that this one-story limestone building measures 125 feet north-to-south and 200 feet east-to-west. It is utilitarian in its design, but there are a few Art Deco touches. The central section is higher than the two complementing sides, with a barrel roof, and it was the drill area. Two National Guard units were stationed here, necessitating separate elevations on the east and west sides with access to offices, supply and arms rooms, and garage areas. Today, the main entrance is on the east side, where there is a sign that says "Agriculture", but it's difficult to get a good look at the west elevation, as the school system parks its school buses behind a locked gate there. There is even an underground rifle range. A cornerstone on the south side of the building notes its construction by the Works Progress Administration, giving 1936 as the year, but labor and material shortages actually pushed its completion out to March of 1937. The cornerstone doesn't mention the architect,
Bryan W. Nolen, an Oklahoma City architect who was a major in the Oklahoma National Guard, and who designed a good number of WPA armories. The armory was home to the Headquarters Battery and Combat Training, 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery and the Headquarters Battery and Combat Training, 3rd Battalion, 189th Field Artillery of the 45th Infantry Division, Oklahoma National Guard.