Press Release
January 31, 2024
Contact: Lynda Ozan
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4484
lynda.ozan@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/shpo
Grayson Jail Added to National Register of Historic Places
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are pleased to announce the National Register of Historic Places designation for the following properties in Oklahoma. The National Register of Historic Places is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Okmulgee County
Grayson Jail
Near Perkins and Finley Streets, Grayson
Constructed circa 1900, the Grayson Jail is located in one of the 13 remaining incorporated All-Black towns in Oklahoma. This approximately 140-square-foot jail is constructed of stone. The concrete floor was added in 1920. It continued to operate as a jail until 1937 when the town no longer needed a jail. As the only remaining government building dating to the town’s initial development during the late territorial and early statehood periods, the jail represents the historic significance of Grayson’s founding as an All-Black town.
Emma Steward and Triston Ewbank, students from the University of Central Oklahoma under Dr. Patricia Loughlin’s direction in the Department of History and Geography, prepared this nomination as part of their capstone seminar. The students are both Oklahoma natives and were excited and grateful to work in such an important underrepresented community.
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The SHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation.
The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: A photo of the Grayson Jail is attached to this email. Please courtesy the State Historic Preservation Office.
