Perry Courthouse Square Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Perry Courthouse Square Historic District
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Commercial buildings in the district
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Birch, Elm, Sixth and Seventh, Perry, Oklahoma |
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| Area | 33.5 acres (13.6 ha) |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | J.W. Hawk, et.al. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000881 |
| Added to NRHP | September 2, 2003 |
The Perry Courthouse Square Historic District is a special area in Perry, Oklahoma. It gets its name from the Noble County Courthouse, which was built there in 1915. This district holds most of the old shops and businesses from when Perry was first founded.
The district has 132 buildings in total. Some of these, like the First National Bank and Trust Company Building and the Noble County Courthouse, are already famous. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This special district was added to the National Register on September 2, 2003. It's important because it shows what the town was like from 1893 to 1953. This time period started with the famous Land Run of 1893.
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What is the Perry Historic District?
The Perry Courthouse Square Historic District is located right in downtown Perry, Oklahoma. Most of the downtown area is part of this district. It is bordered by Birch, Elm, Sixth, and Seventh Streets.
Some streets inside the district, like Birch, Flynn, Elm, and Gene Taylor, still have their original brick paving. Other streets in the district have been paved more recently with asphalt. Parts of downtown that have changed too much from their original look are not included in the district.
Why is it on the National Register?
About 72 percent of the commercial buildings in the district are still standing from its important historical period. This means many old shops and businesses still look much like they did back then. This strong preservation helped the district get listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of these commercial buildings were built in styles common for the time, like Plains Commercial and Territorial styles.
The central area, known as "Government Acre," also helped the district qualify. This area includes the Courthouse, the old post office, and the land office. It was planned out by Hoke Smith, who was a government official at the time.
History of Perry and the District
Perry became a very busy place after noon on September 16, 1893. This was the day of the Land Run of 1893. About 25,000 people crowded into town on the first night, creating a chaotic scene.
The original town was about 1 mile (1.6 km) long from east to west and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide. It had the land office where new settlers had to register their claims. People who wanted to live and work in Perry quickly put up tents. Some of these tents stayed for several years. Over time, wooden buildings with false fronts replaced the tents. The Globe Building, built in 1894, was the first permanent building in Perry. It was a general store and showed the Late Victorian commercial style of architecture.
Government Acre's Story
A special area on the eastern side of town was called "Government Acre." This area was about 5 acres (20,000 m²) in size. It eventually became home to the Noble County Courthouse, the Carnegie Library, the Post Office, and the city's Central Park. The Land Office was moved just east of Government Acre. Another area nearby was called "Hell's Half Acre" because it had many saloons and dance halls.
At first, Government Acre was just a dusty lot with a small wooden Post Office. In 1895, alfalfa was planted there to help control the sand and dust.
In 1896, a local nature lover named Will T. Little got permission to plant elm tree seedlings on Government Acre. He planted 8,600 small trees. They grew so well that enough trees were sold to cover the planting costs. The rest were left to grow into beautiful trees on the courthouse lawn, honoring Mr. Little.
Even though the county needed a central office, there was no money to build a courthouse at first. So, a lumber company built a two-story wooden building on the east side of Government Acre. This donated building served as the courthouse for twenty years. Later, the county voters approved a $100,000 bond issue to build the current Noble County Courthouse. This building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
