Beckham County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Beckham County Courthouse
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Beckham County Courthouse in Sayre, Oklahoma, August 29, 2015
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | Courthouse Sq., Sayre, Oklahoma |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1911 |
| Built by | Oklahoma Quarries & Construction Co. |
| Architect | Layton, Smith, & Hawk |
| MPS | County Courthouses of Oklahoma TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002968 |
| Added to NRHP | August 23, 1984 |
The Beckham County Courthouse, located in Courthouse Square in Sayre, is the county courthouse of Beckham County, Oklahoma. The courthouse is considered a local landmark because it is the tallest building in Sayre. It is also one of the few courthouses in Oklahoma that has a dome.
Description
The courthouse building was built in 1911, the courthouse was designed by the architecture firm of Layton, Smith & Hawk and constructed by Oklahoma Quarries & Construction Co. The courthouse sits on a 1 acre (4,000 m2) parcel of land in downtown Sayre, at the intersection of Third and Walnut Streets. It is a three-story building measuring 66 feet (20 m) in the east-west direction and 99 feet (30 m) in the north-south direction. It is faced with tan bricks and stone. The east and west entrances to the courthouse each feature two Tuscan columns which span the second and third floors; the columns are flanked by brick pilasters. A dentillated cornice and a brick parapet encircle the building at its roof line.
Although the NRHP application did not list a particular style of architecture, another source claims that the building blends Neo-Classical and Second Renaissance Revival styles.
A large dome supported by twelve Doric columns rises from an octagonal base on the roof of the courthouse. A smaller dome, similarly styled and supported by twelve columns, rises from the top of the main dome. The large dome has flat panels for clocks facing four directions.
Culture
The courthouse appeared in the film The Grapes of Wrath, a 1940 adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel. Families headed to California (such as the Joads of the film) passed through Sayre on U.S. Route 66, and many viewed the city as the start of the West.
The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 1984.
