1081 - Lawton High School

Largely due to the distribution of Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache lands, the population in Lawton exploded during the turn of the century, revealing a desperate need for community services such as churches, libraries, and schools. On January 6, 1902, Lawton School opened its doors, welcoming students into a humble, four-room schoolhouse. This temporary building was located at the southwest corner of the same block where the current building is. Its namesake, Henry Ware Lawton, was a highly respected US Army officer who served with great distinction in the Civil War, the Apache Wars, and the Spanish-American War. While the original school served a great need in the community, it was soon too small to house the growing enrollment.

In 1909, ground was broken on a new high school, a magnificent structure boasting six iconic columns, a large copper-covered dome, and other striking features of the Classical Revival Style architecture. Over the years, additions were added to meet the needs of the students, including a north wing and gym in 1922 and the west annex and an enlarged gym in 1939, which was another contribution of the Works Progress Administration in Lawton.

Former students will say that they had class inside the dome, but they are not entirely accurate. The fourth floor was largely unfinished except for classrooms immediately adjacent to the area beneath the dome. These classrooms, while not really in the dome, were referred to as “the dome” and therefore the former students’ claims are not completely unfounded.

The area underneath the dome was a dusty space made up of wide boards placed across some rafters and joists to construct something akin to an attic floor. The floor was littered with buckets to catch all the rain from the leaks in the dome. The dome was also said to be teeming with skeletons. Bird skeletons that is. Birds had managed to get in through loose screens and found themselves trapped inside.

The building has been an integral part of the education system here in Lawton for over 110 years, serving both high school and junior high students. In 1954, the high school moved to its current location, leaving the original to become known as Central Junior High. In 2003, the school took on its current role as the new Lawton City Hall. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 1997, and remains a beloved fixture in this community.