National Register Record for STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT TESTING LABORATORY

Historic Name: STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT TESTING LABORATORY
Current Name: OKLAHOMA VETERANS AFFAIRS BUILDING
Address: 2311 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE
City: OKLAHOMA CITY            County: OKLAHOMA
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT TESTING LABORATORY IS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES UNDER CRITERION A AT THE STATE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR POLITICS/GOVERNMENT AND UNDER CRITERION C AT THE STATE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR ARCHITECTURE. THE TESTING LABORATORY PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT AS A “CENTRALIZED AUTHORITY” FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION OF OKLAHOMA’S ROADS AND BRIDGES. LOCATED AT 2311 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE, THE TESTING LABORATORY WAS DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST MODERN FACILITIES OF ITS TIME UPON ITS CONSTRUCTION IN 1934. BY THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY, STATE ENGINEERS AND CHEMISTS CONDUCTED APPROXIMATELY 16,000 TESTS PER MONTH ON ALL MATERIALS UTILIZED IN ROAD BUILDING AND UPKEEP. THESE TESTS ENSURED THAT OKLAHOMA’S HIGHWAYS ADHERED TO FEDERAL STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES. IN ALL, THE TESTING LABORATORY WAS A LYNCHPIN FOR THE BUREAUCRATIC, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT ENDEAVORED TO PROVIDE SAFE AND DEPENDABLE ROADWAYS FOR CAR DRIVERS THROUGHOUT OKLAHOMA. LISTED 2 DECEMBER 2019.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: GOVERNMENT: GOVERNMENT OFFICE
Current Function: VACANT/ NOT IN USE
Area of Significance 1: POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Area of Significance 2: ARCHITECTURE
Architectural Style: MODERN MOVEMENT: ART DECO
Architect: UNKNOWN
Year Built: 1934            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: MAY 2019