The Active Historian

Hey, Friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I want to show you the historic Municipal Building in Oklahoma City which now houses Oklahoma City City Hall. Let’s get started!

History

Oklahoma City City Hall was part of a larger project in OKC collectively known as the “Civic Center” in the 1930s. The three other buildings involved in the project included the Oklahoma County Courthouse, Municipal Auditorium (currently known as the Civic Center), and the Police Headquarters. This “Civic Center” was funded through a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant and a municipal bond.

Work orders were ready for construction of the new city hall building in January 1936. Charles M. Dunning was the contractor and Leonard Bailey was the architect.

The exterior of the building is made of Bedford limestone, while the interior is comprised of seven different types of marble. The building was built of fireproof materials, had air conditioning, and two elevators which was highlighted in multiple 1936 newspaper articles. According to the OKC website, many of the original decorative features inside the building are still there today in 2026.

A time capsule was buried in the cornerstone of the building. The following newspaper article discusses moving the capsule from the 1901 City Hall to the new City Hall built in 1936.

Approximately $17,000 was spent on landscaping the grounds around City Hall as well. (P.S. I took the photo below in winter in Oklahoma so nothing is blooming – it looks much better in the summer time!)

The building was completed and furniture was moved into the new building in February 1937. The newspaper article shows the last of the furniture being moved by a horse and wagon which I found neat.

Oklahoma City City Hall opened to the public on March 1, 1937. City Council held their first formal meeting in the new City Hall building the next day on March 2, 1937. The total cost of the building project was roughly $600,000.

City Hall underwent major interior renovations from 1995-1998. The plan was created by Rand Elliot and they completed the renovation floor-by-floor.

Oklahoma City City Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in June 2007.

I enjoyed learning about the history of this building. I have walked by it several times and am glad to know its story – maybe one day I’ll walk inside and see all of the original ornamentation.

Visit

200 N Walker Ave.

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Sources

Primary Sources

“Oklahoma City Municipal Building.” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form.

Newspapers

“Work Orders Ready For City Buildings.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 3, 1936.

“New City Hall Will Be Air Conditioned.” Southwest City Post (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 24, 1936.

“Building Permits To Exceed $1,000,000.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 26, 1936.

“Here’s How The New City Hall In Civic Center Will Look When Finished.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), March 8, 1936.

“Report To Show Progress Of City.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), May 18, 1936.

“Yellowed Newspapers, Wine, Coins of 1901 Found In Boxes Taken From City Hall Cornerstone.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), November 2, 1936.

“Mayor Martin Recounts City Progress for 1936.” Oklahoma City Advertiser (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 1, 1937.

“City Hall Grounds To Cost $17,000.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 5, 1937.

“City Hall to Be Jeweled With Green Enamel Gaboons.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 28, 1937.

“Parking Grief Faced By City.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), January 30, 1937.

“Opening Plans Changed.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 2, 1937.

“Equipment Is Moving In.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 5, 1937.

“Use of Old Hall Studied.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 18, 1937.

“Traffic Jams Seen About Civic Center.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 21, 1937.

“Ancient City Hall Is Being Scuttled.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 26, 1937.

“Official City Work Halts As Moving Job Is Begun.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 27, 1937.

“As City Moves Out of Hall Which Was Built Way Back in the Old Horse and Buggy Days.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), February 27, 1937.

“City’s Only Woman Builder Wins Race for First Permit at City Hall.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), March 1, 1937.

“Council Frets In New Palace.” The Oklahoma News (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), March 2, 1936.

Secondary Sources

Websites

“City Hall.” City of Oklahoma City.

“Oklahoma City City Hall – Oklahoma City OK.” Living New Deal.