Press Release
January 31, 2018
Contact: Lynda Ozan
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4484
Fax: 405-522-0816
lozan@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 the newest 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.
“Spirit of the American Doughboy,” a statue located at the Jack C. Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Muskogee, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its association with Native Americans. Though the Viquesney statue design is common, the statue achieves significance as a representation of the pride held by members of the Five Tribes in their wartime service. Given its dedication to Native American veterans, the statue’s placement on the grounds of a veterans’ hospital is particularly appropriate and enhances the monument’s significance.
Listing in the National Register is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The OKSHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation.
The OKSHPO 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.
###
Editor’s Note: Photographs to accompany the story can be acquired by contacting the State Historic Preservation Office at 405-522-4484.
