Rain pours straight through the window frames at the Oklahoma County Courthouse, and breezes slip past the glass into courtrooms where judges and jurors are expected to sit still and pay attention. The 13-story Art Deco landmark at 321 Park Ave. in downtown Oklahoma City is 89 years old, and its original windows, stretching from the ground floor to the 11th story and beyond, are now at the center of a multimillion-dollar dilemma that county officials have yet to solve.
County Commissioner Brian Maughan put it bluntly, saying the windows have terrible energy efficiency, and that water pours in through them while breezes pass through just as easily, according to The Oklahoman. The issue came up again when the Oklahoma County Public Improvements and Infrastructure Committee met last Monday to discuss the courthouse's aging windows.
A Decades-Old Problem With No Funding Source
County Engineer Stacy Trumbo said the window replacement would be expensive, and acknowledged the county is currently dealing with funding issues, per the same Oklahoman report. Director of Facilities Management Keith Monroe estimated the full job would run $4 million to $5 million, not including architecture fees.
City staff told the county they're open to reviewing a new proposal, even though no dedicated funding source has been identified.
Why Oklahoma City Rejected the Last Attempt
This isn't the first time the county has tried to tackle the windows. Oklahoma City blocked a proposed replacement back in 2009, with the city's design review committee determining the new windows would alter the courthouse's appearance and fail to preserve its historic features, recommending refurbishment instead. The rejection reportedly came down to a single detail: the mocked-up replacement window cast a one-inch shadow below the sill, enough of a deviation to sink the project under the city's preservation standards.
The issue has lingered for 17 years. Any new attempt will again need a Certificate of Approval from the Oklahoma City Downtown Design Commission, the body responsible for reviewing new construction, additions, and exterior modifications within the downtown design district, according to the City of Oklahoma City.
An Art Deco Landmark Built During the Depression
The courthouse's historic weight is part of what makes this so complicated. Built between 1936 and 1937, the structure was partly funded by the federal Public Works Administration during the Great Depression, with an original total cost of $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia. It was designed by architect Solomon Layton and his firm Layton & Forsyth.
The building combines Art Deco and PWA Moderne architecture, and its facade pairs sandy-brown Indiana limestone with a dark gray Minnesota granite base, stepped back in massing inspired by Mayan temples, per the National Park Service. Decorative aluminum grilles shaped like corn stalks still decorate the 11th floor, and the upper levels once housed the Oklahoma County jail. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 1992.
It was also part of a larger vision for civic Oklahoma City. The courthouse anchored a coordinated $6.5 million, four-building Civic Center complex downtown that also included the Municipal Building, City Jail and Central Heating Plant, and Municipal Auditorium, according to OKC VeloCity. It replaced an earlier courthouse at California and Robinson.
Historic Courtrooms Bear the Brunt
The building's most ornate spaces are also among its most affected. Levels seven and eight house two-story ceremonial district courtrooms finished with black walnut trim, polished marble wainscoting, and Art Deco cast-plaster ceiling fixtures, according to American Courthouses.
