Coalgate School Gymnasium-Auditorium

Coalgate School Gymnasium--Auditorium
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	Fox and Frey Sts., Coalgate, Oklahoma
Coordinates	34°32′1″N96°13′13″W / 34.53361°N 96.22028°W / 34.53361; -96.22028
Area	less than one acre
Built	1936 (1936)
Built by	Works Progress Administration
MPS	WPA Public Bldgs., Recreational Facilities and Cemetery Improvements in Southeastern Oklahoma, 1935--1943 TR
NRHP reference No.	88001382 [1]
Added to NRHP	September 8, 1988

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 ^[2] and is one of several properties in Southeastern Oklahoma constructed by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. ^[3] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[4]

The gymnasium-auditorium was built by unemployed coal miners who lived in the Coalgate area. ^[2] The building is significant because it provided needed employment to residents, and the completed building was a center for school and community events. ^[2] These activities, particularly basketball games, encouraged a feeling of community identity and pride. ^[2] It is one of three WPA-built structures still standing in Coal County, Oklahoma. ^[2]

Architecture

The building is a single story rectangular structure built of sandstone from the area. ^[2] It measures 91 by 59 feet (28 by 18 m). ^[2] Entrances to the building are surrounded by arches and parapets. ^[2] It has a gabled roof with shingles that are replacements for the original roofing material. ^[2]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. 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.
3. 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
4. State Historic Preservation Office: Oklahoma Historical Society.Oklahoma's National Register Handbook. April 1, 2015. Accessed July 2, 2015.