Lawton High School
a.k.a. Central Junior High School;Old Lawton High School
809 C Ave., Lawton, OKLawton High School is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A because of its importance as a public school in the city of Lawton between 1910 and 1946. Its architectural style and growth during that period represents a local response to the broader patterns of our state and national history. The Original Building's oversized presence reveals the importance local and state leaders placed on secondary education after statehood. The North Addition, built in 1922-23, provided additional classrooms as the Fort sill schools merged with Lawton's school district. The construction of the PWA Annex in 1939, provided employment opportunities for local building contractors and skilled labors during the later part of the New Deal Era. The vocational classrooms and gymnasium were an extension of national policies to revitalize the youth of the nation; however by 1942, the annex's function shifted to a "Victory School," a temporary elementary school set up in response to the military training at Fort Sill during World War II. Lawton High School continues today as an educational center and a local and aerial landmark. Lawton High school is also eligible under Criterion c because it is an excellent example of the classical Revival style and the Modern Movement style adapted for a secondary educational building. It is also significant as the only secondary school in Comanche County exhibiting the oversized architectural features of the classical Revival style.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
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.