Clayton High School Auditorium (Oklahoma)
Encyclopedia
Clayton High School Auditorium is an historic structure serving the public school of Clayton, Oklahoma
. Clayton is located in the Kiamichi Mountains
of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
.
The auditorium
was constructed as a Works Progress Administration
(WPA) public works project in 1936-1937, during the Great Depression
. It provided much-needed jobs in the Clayton area, which had been economically ravaged.
According to an architectural survey completed in 1988, the auditorium is almost unique in being only one of two known WPA buildings constructed for sole use as auditoriums rather than as dual-use auditoriums and gymnasiums. (Much more common elsewhere in the county and Oklahoma was the dual-use auditorium and gymnasium, such as the WPA built elsewhere in the county in Antlers, Oklahoma
, Moyers, Oklahoma
and Rattan, Oklahoma
.)
Art Deco
was the prevalent architectural style during the 1930s
, and the auditorium shows hints of it through its angular lines. The building is a single story T-shaped structure built of native untooled and uncoursed stone. According to the 1988 survey the stonework and masonry work are “excellent”.
The roof is flat with parapets capped with limestone blocks. Entryways are recessed, and windows are emplaced in groups of two. A drainage ditch dug by the WPA surrounds the building and, like the building, has been kept in excellent condition.
The building was nominated successfully to become part of the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988. Justifying its inclusion was its unusual Art Deco allusions—uncommon among WPA buildings in the region—and its purpose as a sole-use auditorium.
More information on Clayton may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
.
Clayton, Oklahoma
Clayton is a town in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 719 at the 2000 census.- History :Clayton was formerly known as Dexter. A United States Post Office was established at Dexter, Indian Territory on March 31, 1894...
. Clayton is located in the Kiamichi Mountains
Kiamichi Mountains
The Kiamichi Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Oklahoma. A subrange within the larger Ouachita Mountains that extend from Oklahoma to western Arkansas, the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore, Pushmataha, and McCurtain counties near the towns of Poteau and Albion...
of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
-Administrative History:* Ca. 1000-1500: Caddoan Mississippian civilization at Spiro Mounds* 1492-1718: Spain* 1718-1763: France* 1763-1800: Spain* 1800-1803: France* 1803–present: United States...
.
The auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
was constructed as a Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) public works project in 1936-1937, during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. It provided much-needed jobs in the Clayton area, which had been economically ravaged.
According to an architectural survey completed in 1988, the auditorium is almost unique in being only one of two known WPA buildings constructed for sole use as auditoriums rather than as dual-use auditoriums and gymnasiums. (Much more common elsewhere in the county and Oklahoma was the dual-use auditorium and gymnasium, such as the WPA built elsewhere in the county in Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers is a city in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. The population was 2,552 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pushmataha County.-Geography:Antlers is located at...
, Moyers, Oklahoma
Moyers, Oklahoma
- History :A permanent settlement has existed at the site of modern Moyers since at least the 1880s.During the 1880s the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, more popularly known as the “Frisco”, built a line from north to south through the Choctaw Nation, connecting Fort Smith, Arkansas with Paris,...
and Rattan, Oklahoma
Rattan, Oklahoma
Rattan is a town in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 241 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rattan is located at...
.)
Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
was the prevalent architectural style during the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
, and the auditorium shows hints of it through its angular lines. The building is a single story T-shaped structure built of native untooled and uncoursed stone. According to the 1988 survey the stonework and masonry work are “excellent”.
The roof is flat with parapets capped with limestone blocks. Entryways are recessed, and windows are emplaced in groups of two. A drainage ditch dug by the WPA surrounds the building and, like the building, has been kept in excellent condition.
The building was nominated successfully to become part of the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1988. Justifying its inclusion was its unusual Art Deco allusions—uncommon among WPA buildings in the region—and its purpose as a sole-use auditorium.
More information on Clayton may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
Pushmataha County Historical Society
The Pushmataha County Historical Society is a historical society devoted to collecting and preserving the history of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma...
.