Douglass High School Auditorium
800 M St., NE, Ardmore, OKDouglass High School Auditorium is historically significant because: (1) it is one of the few remaining properties associated with the all-black community of Ardmore, (2) it is the only educational resource still standing identified with the all-black Douglass High School in Ardmore, and (3) it is one of the oldest and largest buildings of its type in southern Oklahoma.
Ardmore was established in 1887 as a rail outlet for agricultural products when the Santa Fe extended its tracks across the Chickasaw Nation. With the coming of the railroad, the largely undeveloped area around Ardmore was occupied by farms and ranches; and cotton, corn, and cattle became the principle products. Ardmore grew steadily and by 1910 had become the regional trade center for south central Oklahoma with a population of 8,618.
Because of Ardmore's preeminence as a regional agricultural center, it developed substantial business districts for both blacks and whites. Ardmore's black population by 1910 reached 1,628, or roughly 19 percent of the city's total. By 1920 the black population of Ardmore had increased to slightly more than 2,000.
Separate schools for blacks and whites were legalized by the Oklahoma state constitution of 1907. The funding for black educational facilities, however, was different than for white educational properties. Black school systems were allocated funds from only county wide tax levies, whereas white schools were allotted funds from both individual school district property taxes as well as county tax assessments. Based on this tax system, black schools did not always have equivalent facilities as compared with white schools. This was the case in Ardmore.
The first and only black high school in Ardmore was Douglass, established in the early 1900s. The black youth, however, were deprived of an auditorium until 1930 when the nominated property was constructed near the high school. From 1930 to 1969 the Douglass High School Auditorium served as a significant social, educational, and recreational focal point for the black community. Hundreds of black youth participated in music programs, dramatic productions, graduation exercises, and athletic contests held in the auditorium. The 60' x 90' structure was the largest black facility of its type in southern Oklahoma. The only other comparable facility for black high school youth in southern Oklahoma was at McAlester and it was constructed in 1934 with P.W.A. funding.
In 1969 the old high school was replaced with a new high school complex, which included an auditorium, and the high school system was integrated.
The auditorium is still owned by the Ardmore Public School System. Located near the new high school complex, the property is currently used as a bus barn and for maintenance personnel offices. For over 53 years, the Douglass High School Auditorium has remained an integral part of the educational and ethnic history of Ardmore.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.