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| ID Number |
SG100004742 |
| Historic Name |
HARMONY SCHOOL |
| Description of Significance |
HARMONY SCHOOL, LOCATED AT 1537 NORTHEAST 24TH STREET, IN OKLAHOMA CITY, WAS BUILT IN THREE PHASES; IT WAS FIRST PLACED IN SERVICE IN 1928, AND IT REACHED ITS CURRENT FORM CA. 1949. THE SCHOOL IS LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT UNDER NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA A AND C IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, ETHNIC HERITAGE: BLACK, AND ARCHITECTURE. THE SCHOOL IS SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION A IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION AND ETHNIC HERITAGE: BLACK, FOR ITS ASSOCIATION WITH EDUCATION AND THE INTEGRATION OF OKLAHOMA CITY’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE LATE 1950S AND EARLY 1960S. HARMONY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ORIGINALLY SERVED WHITE STUDENTS ONLY. LOCATED IN A TRANSITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN OKLAHOMA CITY TO BE THE SUBJECT OF A CHALLENGE TO THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION’S DISCRIMINATORY TRANSFER POLICIES. THE TRANSFER POLICY BENEFITED WHITE STUDENTS BY ALLOWING THEM TO TRANSFER TO A PREDOMINATELY WHITE SCHOOL OUTSIDE OF THEIR DISTRICT, BUT DENIED AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS THE SAME TRANSFER OPTIONS. ALTHOUGH THAT INITIAL CHALLENGE PROVED TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL, IT HELPED SET THE STAGE FOR FUTURE LEGAL ACTIONS WHICH LED TO THE DESEGREGATION OF THE ENTIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN OKLAHOMA CITY. AS INTEGRATION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PROGRESSED AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGED, THE ENROLLMENT OF HARMONY SCHOOL TRANSITIONED FROM ALL-WHITE TO ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AFRICAN AMERICAN. THE SCHOOL WAS RENAMED MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN 1974, AND CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL UNTIL AROUND 2002. AT THE TIME OF ITS CLOSING, NEARLY ALL OF THE STUDENTS THERE WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN. IT IS ALSO ELIGIBLE IN THE AREA OF ARCHITECTURE AS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A 1920S PUBLIC SCHOOL IN OKLAHOMA CITY WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY TWO PROMINENT OKLAHOMA ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS. THE FIRST TWO SECTIONS OF THE SCHOOL WERE DESIGNED BY LAYTON, HICKS AND FORSYTH, A PROMINENT LOCAL ARCHITECTURAL FIRM. SOLOMON LAYTON, ONE OF THE FIRM’S PARTNERS, IS CREDITED WITH DESIGNING SEVERAL IMPORTANT BUILDINGS IN OKLAHOMA CITY INCLUDING THE OKLAHOMA STATE CAPITOL (NRHP #76001572), AS WELL AS SCORES OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS. THE AUDITORIUM WING OF THE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS ADDED CA. 1949, WAS DESIGNED BY BAILEY AND BOZALIS. THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR HARMONY SCHOOL BEGINS IN 1928, WHEN CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST PORTION OF THE SCHOOL WAS COMPLETED, AND ENDS IN 1963, WHEN THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION WAS FIRST ORDERED TO DESEGREGATE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. LISTED 2 DECEMBER 2019. |
| Current Name |
SAME |
| Address |
1537 NORTHEAST 24TH STREET |
| City |
OKLAHOMA CITY |
| County |
OKLAHOMA |
| Lot |
15 |
| Block |
|
| Current Section |
|
| Township |
|
| Range |
|
| Type |
BUILDING |
| Historic Function |
EDUCATION: SCHOOL |
| Current Function |
VACANT/ NOT IN USE |
| Area Significance 1 |
EDUCATION; ETHNIC HERITAGE: BLACK |
| Area Significance 2 |
ARCHITECTURE |
| Date Prepared |
MARCH 2019 |
| Year Built |
1928-1949 |
| Original Site |
YES |
| Architect/Builder |
ARCHITECT: LAYTON, HICKS AND FORSYTH; BUILDER: HUGHES, S. P.; ARCHITECTS: BAILEY & BOZALIS |
| Architectural Style |
CLASSICAL REVIVAL |
| Roof Material |
MEMBRANE |
| Wall Material |
BRICK W/ CAST STONE ACCENTS |
| Window Material |
METAL |
| Door Material |
METAL |
| Decorative Details |
|
| Condition |
GOOD |
| Comments |
LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER 12/02/2019. |
| Restricted |
|
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