Press Release
March 29, 2021
Contact: Sara Werneke
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4478
Fax: 405-522-0816
swerneke@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/shpo
New Oklahoma National Register Listing
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office (OKSHPO) is pleased to announce an additional National Register of Historic Places listing for Oklahoma. The National Register of Historic Places is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
The Brockway Community Center was listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the local level of significance for its connection to the area’s Black history. Its period of significance—beginning in the year 1968—aligns with the Oklahoma City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs’ purchase of the building at 1440 N. Everest Ave. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, to serve as its new permanent home, recognizing the ongoing work of the group and its continuing importance to the African American community. The purchase of this substantial property represented the culmination of significant efforts begun in 1911 with the formation of the Oklahoma City chapter of the organization. Operating under the statewide organization’s slogan “Lifting as We Climb,” the club used the Brockway Community Center as its headquarters to provide valuable services to young Black women and children, improve the quality of life in local Black neighborhoods, and advocate for racial equality. The 1968 purchase provided the club with a significant base for its important activities, which continued in the building until its sale in 2011. The Brockway Community Center remains the only extant building in Oklahoma City directly affiliated with the Oklahoma City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs.
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: Photographs to accompany the story can be acquired by contacting Sara Werneke at the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office at swerneke@okhistory.org .
