Press Release
January 4, 2024
Contact: Matthew Pearce, Ph.D.
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4479
matthew.pearce@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/shpo
Three Sites in Oklahoma Added to National Register of Historic Places
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are pleased to announce the National Register of Historic Places designation for the following properties in Oklahoma. The National Register of Historic Places is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Craig County
John and Hazel Adams House
108 Fairmont Rd., Vinita
Designed by architect Bruce Goff and constructed in 1961, the John and Hazel Adams House effectively illustrates Goff’s interest in centroidal design. The exterior of the twelve-sided house is unassuming, characterized by grey limestone and concrete walls with recessed triangular windows at each corner. The modest exterior gives little indication of the house’s stunning interior, which features a central public space surrounded by a perimeter layer of private spaces. Upon entering the house, one’s eye is drawn immediately to a central sunken conversation area amplified by a circular fireplace and chimney pipe with skylights above. A radial pattern of ceiling beams leads out from the chimney to private spaces along the perimeter, which can be opened or closed by folding wood partitions. The overall arrangement of spaces, features, and finishes throughout the Adams house illustrates the importance of geometry in Goff’s design aesthetic.
Delaware County
Delaware School, District No. 64
US 59/OK 10, Jay vicinity
Located approximately six miles north of Jay in central Delaware County, Delaware School, District No. 64 is an excellent example of a rural schoolhouse built of local limestone. Such buildings were once common throughout the county and were preferred for public facilities such as schools and churches. This building type became increasingly rare as consolidation rendered many one and two-room schools obsolete. The building was originally a one-room school constructed in 1930 by a local builder. In 1935, a classroom addition was built with support from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). Construction of the addition provided much-needed employment relief for local workers and accommodated a growing student population. Students attended Delaware School through the 1962-63 term, after which the district was annexed by neighboring, larger school districts.
Kay County
Dr. William A.T. and Lillian Robertson House
202 N. 6th St., Ponca City
The Dr. William A.T. and Lillian Robertson House is a significant example of a Dutch Colonial Revival style residence in Ponca City. Built in 1907, the two-story house has a distinctive cross gambrel roof, Palladian windows, diamond-shaped leaded windowpanes, and a front porch with classical Ionic column supports. The house is named for its first owner, the prominent pioneer doctor William A.T. Robertson, and his wife, Lillian. Like other residences in Ponca City, the house was influenced by architectural trends of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which included many revivalist styles. As one of the best examples of a Dutch Colonial Revival style residence in Ponca City, the Robertson House embodied the town’s efforts to construct refined, high-style residences before the oil boom.
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The SHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation.
The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of the three sites are attached to this email. Please courtesy the State Historic Preservation Office.
