Coalgate School Gymnasium-Auditorium
The Coalgate School Gymnasium-Auditorium is a historic school building in Coalgate, Oklahoma. It is located at the intersection of Fox and Frey streets in Coalgate, Oklahoma and is one of several properties in Southeastern Oklahoma constructed by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The gymnasium-auditorium was built by unemployed coal miners who lived in the Coalgate area. The building is significant because it provided needed employment to residents, and the completed building was a center for school and community events. These activities, particularly basketball games, encouraged a feeling of community identity and pride. It is one of three WPA-built structures still standing in Coal County, Oklahoma.
Architecture
The building is a single story rectangular structure built of sandstone from the area. It measures 91 by 59 feet (28 by 18 m). Entrances to the building are surrounded by arches and parapets. It has a gabled roof with shingles that are replacements for the original roofing material.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Coalgate School Gymnasium/Auditorium (pdf), National Park Service, September 8, 1988 "Coalgate School Gymnasium/Auditorium" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places Inventory.
- ^ W. David Baird (July 25, 1988), National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) Public Buildings, Recreational Facilities and Cemetery Improvements in Southeastern Oklahoma, 1935-1943 (Thematic Resources) (pdf), National Park Service
- ^ State Historic Preservation Office: Oklahoma Historical Society.Oklahoma's National Register Handbook. April 1, 2015. Accessed July 2, 2015.
