General Officers Quarters
a.k.a. Hurley,Patrick,House
1310 Shanklin Circle, Fort Sill, OKThis set of quarters was completed November 28, 1911, when the "New Post" was being built on the high ground northwest of the old Post. The Indians believe that the selection of this site for the New Post was determined upon because of its proximity to the legendary Medicine Bluffs, which would afford permanent protection for the occupants from tornadoes and other disasters.
Many distinguished military families have occupied this home. It has been the residence of post commanders and of commandants and assistant commandants of the Field Artillery School. It has been a regimental home, a group home, a brigade home, a visiting general's quarters, and a corps artillery home. The most distinguished guest at this house was Secretary of War Patrick J. Hurley of President Hoover's administration, who stayed here with the Commandant, Brigadier General William M. Cruikshank, in 1930, shortly before the Secretary designated Fort Sill as the permanent home of the Field Artillery School.
Patrick J. Hurley, soldier, lawyer, and diplomat, was born in 1883 in Choctaw Indian Territory, which later became part of the State of Oklahoma.GEN Hurley served with distinction in WWI and was u.s. Secretary of War from 1929-33. He advanced to the rank of Major General in WWII and served as the President's personal representative to many countries and as Ambassador to China during the war.
The architecture of Hurley House is representative of the style employed for all of the New Post buildings erected in the period 1909-11, a style that was considered to be particularly adapted to the climate of this region. It is the most imposing set of quarters in the New Post and is located among structures of similar design. This portion of the New Post has remained essentially unchanged in appearance since its original construction.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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.