Gray Horse School (former) – Gray Horse OK

Description

Gray Horse (also spelled Grayhorse, Greyhorse) is an Osage Indian ceremonial town in Osage county, Oklahoma. The WPA constructed a school for the town in 1939.

“Designed by A.J. Love, architect of many public structures in north east Oklahoma in the early part of 20th century, this was one of, if not his last, designs. Consisting of four class rooms and a large gymnasium/auditorium, it was built with a combination of quarried sandstone, native field stone, and limestone, with liberal use of arched entryways. The combination is striking, even after years of abandonment. The school operated until 1962, when is was consolidated with nearby Fairfax.”   (www.geocaching.com)

A 1985 Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory survey describes the school and discusses its importance:

“As a rural WPA building, this structure is unique with regard to size and its construction of two different rock types (cut and uncut stone). Within the community it is notable in terms of type, style, materials and workmanship… After its construction the school had a student body made up in large part of Osage children. Moreover, the Osages were some of those destitute and unemployed laborers who were given job opportunities when the school was constructed. The economic security that thus accrue[d] to them, after long months of virtual starvation, makes the Greyhorse school building especially significant.”