Three properties being considered for National Register of Historic Places

The Alcorn-Pickrel House – 200 North 10th St. The Alcorn-Pickrel House is a two-story stucco Prairie School style residence. The house was designed by Kansas City, Mo., architect, Elmer Boillot, and was built in 1918 for John S. Alcorn. The high style residence retains a high degree of historic integrity both inside and outside.

The Historic Preservation Advisory Panel of the City of Ponca City will meet in the McFadden Room at City Hall at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, to receive three National Register Nomination presentations by Sara Werneke, National Register Program Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office.

The three Ponca City properties to be presented include the Alcorn-Pickrel House, 200 North 10th Street; the CME Kimbrough Temple, 1029 South 12th Street, and the First Christian Church, 510 North 5th Street.

All three of these properties have been deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places for their association with events that have made a significant contribution to Ponca City’s local history, and/or embody distinctive architectural characteristics.

In April, these three properties will be presented and reviewed by the Historic Preservation Review Committee at the State Historic Preservation Office in Oklahoma City.  At this meeting, it will be determined whether the nomination(s) will be forwarded to the Keeper of the Register in Washington, D.C.

The City of Ponca City is awarded Certified Local Government grant funding each year to perform planning type activities to further the local historic preservation efforts.

The City of Ponca City has been designated a “Preserve America” community for its commitment to preserving and using its cultural and natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of our community.

All interested community members are invited to attend the Feb. 27 meeting to learn more about these historic properties.

CME/Kimbrough Temple, at 1029 South 12th Street, a historically African-American church, was built by the parishioners between 1943 and 1946, with the first service held there in 1946. It is eligible for its historical association as a religious institution active in the lives of the segregated black community of Ponca City. This structure served the community with not only religious services, but with social services and community outreach, thus becoming central to the black community of Ponca City.

First Christian Church, 210 North 5th Street.
The historic core of the First Christian Church building was constructed in 1923, with a 1952 addition to the north and west, and a 2003 addition to the west. The original architects, Woodruff and Van Slyke, designed and built many churches in Texas and Oklahoma and were influenced by the Mission Revival style. Also of note, the First Christian Church congregation has been in existance almost as long as the City of Ponca City and has been active participants in the lives of the citizens of Ponca City through the various social and educational programs the church has offered.