Preservation Oklahoma is pleased to announce the 2025 list of Oklahoma’s Most Endangered Places. POK aims to promote the places where Oklahoma history lives by bringing awareness to historic landmarks across the state. POK seeks nominations from the public in October every year, and a team of historic preservation professionals meets to decide which properties to include on the list. Although inclusion on the list does not guarantee protection or funding, recognition for these structures may increase restoration efforts and possibly ensure their longevity. A variety of property types were nominated from across the state. The 2025 list includes buildings from important Oklahoma architects, beloved community icons, and archaeological sites.

THE 2025 LIST OF OKLAHOMA’S MOST ENDANGERED PLACES INCLUDES:

Remnants of WWII POW Camp, Alva

The WWII POW camp in Alva was used to house captured German SS corps and captured members of Rommel’s African campaign troops until the war ended. At one point, there were 5,000 German POWs housed at Camp Alva. After the war, the camp was dismantled and many structures were sold and removed. The American Officer’s Club building remained on site and was used as the local VFW for several decades. This building, the water tower, the chimney of the nurse’s building and the infirmary are all that remain of the site.

The Prairie House, Norman

The Prairie House is considered by some to be one of the most coherent embodiments of the type of organic architecture exemplified by Bruce Goff and his followers. HerbGreene designed his own Prairie House in Norman. Greene’s residence drew popular acclaim after Julius Shulman published photos of the home in the 1961 issue of Life magazine. The Prairie House is one of only three buildings still standing in Norman from this significant era in Oklahoma history. There is a critical need to preserve this endangered historic architecture, and plans are being developed in hopes of restoring and developing the structure.

Opheum/Cook Theater, Okmulgee

The Orpheum Theater has been a cultural landmark and cornerstone of the downtown Okmulgee community since its opening in 1920. It is a venue where memories have been made for generations. The most recent owner enjoyed taking visitors through the back passageways, showing them the old pipe organ and intricate decorative designs. With the owner’s passing, the Orpheum Theater stands in need of connection to the new “caretaker” who will protect her historic features and architectural designs, while modernizing the property.

Canadian County Jail, El Reno

The Canadian County Jail is the oldest intact county government building in Canadian County. It was designed by noted Oklahoma architect Solomon Andrew Layton, in partnership with W.J. Riley, and built by A.C. Kreipke. The jail was designed and built between 1904 and 1907. It is an example of Layton’s early Oklahoma work and features unusual Italian Renaissance characteristics for a utilitarian building like a county incarceration facility. It is the only public building that Layton designed in El Reno that is still standing. Restoration efforts are ongoing.

West Winds Motel, Erick

The West Winds Motel was built in 1948 along Route 66 in Erick. The motel consists of white stucco buildings with red mansard roofs, and a neon sign with a bucking bronco and rider. The western theme was prevalent in Erick during the main days of Route 66. It is currently a private residence, and was nominated due to the concern that it remains preserved for both Route 66 and Erick history.

The Vogel House, Vinita

The Vogel House is a beautiful example of American foursquare architecture and dates back to the early days of Vinita. The 2,582 square foot home has five bedrooms and two bathrooms. The home was built in 1909 on the Cherokee allotment of William T. Beatty. Fred Vogel purchased the home in 1919, and it remained in the Vogel family until 1995. This iconic landmark has stood sentry at the north edge of Vinita for over 100 years. The home is currently vacant, and the future of the house remains uncertain.

Grady County Historical Society Museum, Chickasha

Located in the former Dixie Department Store building, which was built in 1907, the museum has been forced to relocate to another venue due to a structural deficiency on the interior of the building. The building is a contributing resource within the Chickasha Historic District, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Options being considered include closing the upper floors and repairing just he first floor of the building, or demolishing the building but maintaining just its facade.

Arkansas River Valley Archaeological Sites associated with Spiro Mounds, Spiro

Spiro is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the US and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It is a sacred site and place of great significance to many Native Americans, including the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes of Oklahoma.

Spiro was occupied as early as AD 950 and most heavily between AD 1100-1450, during which time over a dozen earthen mounds were built. Early archaeological investigation of these mounds by the University of Oklahoma from 1916 through the 1930s brought the site to international attention.

As important as Spiro was during late prehistoric times, it did not exist as a singular site; rather, it was at the center of social, religious, and economic activities that brought people together from multiple communities up and down the Arkansas River Valley and its tributaries and beyond. Today, the remains of many of these sites are located in areas subject to flooding or erosion, which can cause impacts to the archaeological deposits and damage overall site integrity.

Additional damage comes to these sites by way of unauthorized excavation and looting to remove artifacts for sale. Indeed, Spiro was subjected to some of the worst looting in the early 20th Century and spurred an early state law designed to halt the activity. The Spiro Mounds archaeological site is now owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and managed as the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center by the Oklahoma Historical Society, which gives the site a level of protection that other associated sites are not afforded. In addition to being protected from unauthorized looting, the site continues to yield new data through ongoing archaeological investigations conducted by the University of Oklahoma and overseen through permits from USACE. Sites that are located on private lands do not enjoy the same level of documentation or protection, sometimes despite concerted efforts by the owners to be good stewards of these endangered resources.

The combined effects of looting and increased erosion are erasing some of the sites in the Spiro orbit—sometimes before they can be properly documented. For this reason, they are endangered. The most effective approaches to protecting these important cultural resources—as demonstrated in part by Spiro—are through collaborative approaches between state and federal agencies, legislators, private landowners, universities, professional archaeologists, and other stakeholders—such as descendant tribes, preservation organizations, and concerned citizens.

Established as one of Preservation Oklahoma’s first programs, Oklahoma’s Most Endangered Historic Places was patterned after a similar annual list produced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  Ralph McCalmont, one of the founding board members of Preservation Oklahoma, had also served on the board of the National Trust and was keenly aware of the program’s impact.  Realizing the need for Preservation Oklahoma to focus public attention on the state’s historic structures, the Board of Directors agreed to publish an annual list of “properties and sites which have special historic or architectural significance to our state, but which are in danger of being lost, due to neglect, poor maintenance, obsolescence or other causes.” The purpose of producing this listed was stated by John Mabrey, then the President of Preservation Oklahoma, when he said “if we bring the problems to light of a structure familiar to people, they are more likely to do something about it.” 

For over thirty years, people have done “something about it.”  While inclusion on the list does not guarantee protection or funding, it has proven to be a key component in mobilizing support for preserving historic sites by raising each structure’s awareness to a statewide level.   The nomination process has evolved to reflect the fact that the public is aware of the need to preserve their local structures.  Today, nominations are solicited annually from the public.  The nominations are compiled, and the formal list is selected by a group of preservation experts, including historians, architects, and archaeologists. ​