1088 - National Guard Armory

National Guard Armories go back to the time of local militia units of the Colonial and Revolutionary War eras. The armories were used to store ammunition, arms, and supplies to be used in a time of crisis.

In the early days of the Oklahoma National Guard, the units met anywhere rooms could be found. Large empty spaces and warehouses were rented for ordnance storage. The units trained and drilled in large, outdoor fields. It was not until 1935 when Oklahoma started building dedicated armories for their National Guard units. The first built was in the small town of Wewoka, though the one in Kingfisher was the first completed. By 1938, there were 51 armories in the state.

Twenty-five additional armories were built in the 1950s, during the Korean War. One of those was The National Guard Armory in Lawton. The Oklahoma National Guard used it to help practice their training and mobilization. The Armory saw most of its use in 1950-1974. It is no longer used as an armory.

Passersby in the nearby Elmer Thomas Park can see the distinctive features of the main concrete dome atop a large circular building, along with the two smaller buildings at its side. The main building contains an assembly room surrounded by 16 classrooms, storage rooms, and lockers. The dome contains several plastic skylights. The two smaller buildings are the Vehicle Repair Building and the three-bay Vehicle Storage Building. Both have domed skylights. The armory was constructed by architect Paul Harris. It is an excellent example of 1950s modern concrete architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.