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| ID Number |
14000595 |
| Historic Name |
OKLAHOMA CITY FORD MOTOR COMPANY ASSEMBLY PLANT |
| Description of Significance |
THE OKLAHOMA CITY FORD MOTOR COMPANY ASSEMBLY PLANT (OKLAHOMA CITY PLANT) IS LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION C FOR THE AREA OF ARCHITECTURE. COMPLETED IN 1916, THE BUILDING IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF A MANUFACTURING FACILITY DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF AUTOMOBILES THROUGH A PROCESS PIONEERED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD). FAMED INDUSTRIAL ARCHITECT ALBERT KAHN DESIGNED THE ORIGINAL BUILDING FOR FORD IN 1915 AND ITS EXPANSION IN 1924. FORD DEVELOPED THE PROCESS OF SHIPPING A COMPLETE SET OF PARTS VIA RAIL FROM ITS HIGHLAND PARK PLANT IN MICHIGAN TO REGIONAL PLANTS FOR ASSEMBLY. THIS PROCESS WAS DESIGNED TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL FOR FORD AND TO MEET THE GROWING PUBLIC DEMAND FOR NEW VEHICLES IN A TIMELY MANNER. IN AN UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION, FORD CONSTRUCTED TWENTY-FOUR REGIONAL ASSEMBLY PLANTS, INCLUDING THE OKLAHOMA CITY PLANT, BETWEEN 1910 AND 1915. THE BUILDING RETAINS THE CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES OF AN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING FACILITY, INCLUDING REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, THE LONG, OPEN FLOOR PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE THE ASSEMBLY-LINE PROCESS, AND LARGE EXPANSES OF WINDOWS FOR LIGHT AND VENTILATION. THE FORD ASSEMBLY PLANT ALSO RETAINS KAHN’S SIGNATURE DESIGN ELEMENTS, SUCH AS THE OCTAGONAL CONCRETE COLUMNS WITH SPLAYED CAPITALS AND THE GEOMETRIC TERRA COTTA ORNAMENT ON THE EXTERIOR. THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE IS 1916 AND 1924, THE CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATES FOR THE FOUR-STORY BUILDING AND THE TWO-STORY ADDITION, RESPECTIVELY. |
| Current Name |
|
| Address |
900 WEST MAIN STREET |
| City |
OKLAHOMA CITY |
| County |
OKLAHOMA |
| Lot |
1-17 |
| Block |
19 |
| Current Section |
|
| Township |
|
| Range |
|
| Type |
BUILDING |
| Historic Function |
INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION: MANUFACTURING FACILITY |
| Current Function |
INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION: INDUSTRIAL STORAGE |
| Area Significance 1 |
ARCHITECTURE |
| Area Significance 2 |
|
| Date Prepared |
2014 |
| Year Built |
1916, 1924 |
| Original Site |
YES |
| Architect/Builder |
KAHN. ALBERT |
| Architectural Style |
COMMERCIAL STYLE |
| Roof Material |
|
| Wall Material |
BRICK |
| Window Material |
METAL |
| Door Material |
METAL |
| Decorative Details |
TURQUOISE AND PURPLE TERRA COTTA TILES, LIMESTONE BELTCOURSES, METAL SCONCES |
| Condition |
EXCELLENT |
| Comments |
|
| Restricted |
N |
|