National Register Record for UNITES STATES POST OFFICE PURCELL

Historic Name: UNITES STATES POST OFFICE PURCELL
Current Name: None
Address: 228 WEST MAIN STREET
City: PURCELL            County: MCCLAIN
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE IN PURCELL IS SIGNIFICANT WITHIN THE MULTIPLE PROPERTY NOMINATION, “OKLAHOMA POST OFFICES WITH SECTION ART.” WHEN BUILT IN 1938-9, THE POST OFFICE BECAME ANOTHER PRODUCT OF THE NEW DEAL PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM AND IT WAS TARGETED TO RECEIVE ARTWORK THROUGH THE SECTION, A DEPRESSION-ERA PROGRAM THAT COMMISSIONED ARTISTS TO CREATE ARTWORKS FOR THE DECORATION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS. FREDERICK E. CONWAY RECEIVED THE COMMISSION FOR THE PURCELL POST OFFICE MURAL. THE MURAL DESIGNED AND PAINTED BY CONWAY CONSTITUTES AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BUILDING AND IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE WORK AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SECTION. IN THE AREA OF POLITICS/GOVERNMENT, THE PURCELL POST OFFICE ALSO REPRESENTS IMPORTANT NEW DEAL POLICIES RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION AND DECORATION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: GOVERNMENT: POST OFFICE
Current Function: GOVERNMENT: POST OFFICE
Area of Significance 1: POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Area of Significance 2: ART
Architectural Style: MODERN MOVEMENT: ART DECO
Architect: SIMON, LOUIS A. SUPERVISING ARCHITECT & CONWAY, FREDERICK E. MURAL ARTIST
Year Built: 1939-1940            Original Site: YES
Condition: EXCELLENT
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: 4/2017