Franklin Hall (Goodwell, Oklahoma)

Franklin Hall in Goodwell, Oklahoma, USA, was built during 1909-10 by a local contractor that has been used in various ways for housing throughout its history. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 with alternate name Girls' Dormitory/Boys' Dormitory.[1]

Franklin Hall
Franklin Hall, in 2012, seen from the southwest. The building's long axis is oriented southwest-northeast.
Location201 N. College Ave., Goodwell, Oklahoma
Coordinates36°35′39″N 101°38′9″W
Built1909-10
Built byFrank Shinville
NRHP reference No.07000909[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 6, 2007

It is a 37 feet (11 m) by 80 feet (24 m) concrete building with a moderately sloped hipped asphalt roof, and has no architectural style. It was built as part of seeking the state legislature's approval for an agricultural high school to be located in Goodwell, along with two church buildings. The school was approved and was named the "Panhandle Agricultural Institute", later renamed to "Panhandle Agriculture and Mechanical College" and eventually, in 1974, to Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

Originally the building housed students, faculty, and the president of the school and his family. It became the Girls' Dormitory soon, with men housed in tents nearby. In 1914 a second residential building, also named Girls' Dormitory and later named Earle Hall, was built and housed the girls plus the president and family. The Franklin Hall building became the Boys' Dormitory and was renamed to Franklin Hall in the mid-1920s. After World War II, it was converted into 12 apartments for married students, and occasionally faculty. Eventually it became housing for honors students. Building code deficiencies led to the building being mostly vacant from 2004 to the time of its NRHP nomination in 2007.[2]

It was deemed significant for its association with higher education. The building is the only building surviving from the time of the school's founding.[2]


References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Cynthia Savage (April 2007). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Franklin Hall / Girls' Dormitory/Boys' Dormitory". National Park Service. Retrieved October 4, 2016. with four photos from 1986


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