National Register Record for BROCKWAY COMMUNITY CENTER

Historic Name: BROCKWAY COMMUNITY CENTER
Current Name: SAME
Address: 1440 NORTH EVEREST AVENUE
City: OKLAHOMA CITY            County: OKLAHOMA
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: THE BROCKWAY COMMUNITY CENTER IS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES UNDER CRITERION A AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR ETHNIC HERITAGE: BLACK. THE 1968 PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE ALIGNS WITH THE OKLAHOMA CITY FEDERATION OF COLORED WOMEN’S CLUBS’ PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING AT 1440 NORTH EVEREST AVENUE AS ITS NEW PERMANENT HOME, RECOGNIZING THE ONGOING WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS CONTINUING IMPORTANCE TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. THE PURCHASE OF THE SUBSTANTIAL PROPERTY REPRESENTED THE CULMINATION OF SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS BEGUN IN 1911 WITH THE FORMATION OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY CHAPTER. OPERATING UNDER THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION’S SLOGAN “LIFTING AS WE CLIMB,” THE CLUB USED BROCKWAY CENTER AS THEIR 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. BROCKWAY COMMUNITY CENTER REMAINS THE ONLY EXTANT BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY DIRECTLY AFFILIATED WITH THE OKLAHOMA CITY FEDERATION OF COLORED WOMEN’S CLUBS. LISTED MARCH 15, 2021.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: SOCIAL/MEETING HALL, SOCIAL/CLUBHOUSE, SOCIAL/CIVIC, DOMESTIC/SINGLE DWELLING, DOMESTIC/SECONDARY STRUCTURE
Current Function: VACANT/NOT IN USE
Area of Significance 1: ETHNIC HERITAGE: BLACK
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: COLONIAL REVIVAL
Architect: UNKNOWN
Year Built: 1915            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: OCTOBER 2020