Banner School (demolished) - Guthrie OK

City:: Guthrie, OK
Site Type:: Education and Health, Schools
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Completed:: 1935
Marked:: Yes

Description

“Banner School, constructed in 1935, was one of the 825 schools constructed in Oklahoma by the Works Progress Administration.

Banner School is located at 1124 W. Warner in northwest Guthrie. The school was constructed in 1935 by the WPA. Unlike the red native stone buildings so prominent in the region, this school is constructed of several shades of tan brick. The brick was scored with vertical striations. This is a one-story building which was an elementary school. The windows are equipped with horizontal, exterior metal movable sun shades. The building is currently vacant and not in use…

To the left of the main doors, at waist height is a large cornerstone documenting the date and administrators connected with this project and school. The cornerstone shows the date of 1935 and at the bottom reads: “WPA Project 6-91 / W.S. Key State Adm. / W.L. Berry Div. Dir.”” (https://www.waymarking.com)

Update: In May, 2014 this lovely WPA school was destroyed by a fire set by vandals and is now in ruins.

September 2018 contributor update: “We heard the school had been demolished and went to check it out. […] They saved the big concrete school name sign from above the entrance and have it display in a stone wall. The land has been converted to a very nice children’s park with lots of playground equipment. Work is still going on. We will re-visit when park is complete.”