The nearly century-old but declining Casa Grande Hotel along Route 66 in Elk City, Oklahoma, recently made Preservation Oklahoma’s annual list of its Most Endangered Places.
Each year, Preservation Oklahoma seeks nominations from the public, and a team of historic preservation professionals meets to decide what properties to include on the list. Although being on the list does not guarantee protection or funding, recognition for these structures may increase restoration efforts and possibly ensure their longevity.
Preservation Oklahoma said this about the Casa Grande:
An icon of downtown Elk City for over 90 years, this four-story, Spanish Eclectic style hotel was constructed in 1928 utilizing the design of the Oklahoma City firm of Hawk and Parr. Located on Route 66, it is the largest hotel directly on the route between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. It represents the high-water mark of first-class hotels along the route. Soon, this type of hotel was supplanted by the tourist court and the motel. Casa Grande was the site of the 1931 U.S. “66” Association’s National Convention. It most recently served as a geology/oil and gas museum. Vandals and time have taken their toll on the building. It is in need of a new roof and tighter security. Casa Grande was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
In 2013, a development group sought to restore the Casa Grande Hotel and convert it into apartments for moderate-income families, but nothing apparently came of it.
Others making the most-endangered list were:
- Apache Museum, Apache
- Saddle Mountain Mission Church, Cache
- Griffin Memorial Hope Hall, Norman
- Booker T. Washington School, Stillwater
- Downtown Newkirk
- Tall Chief Theatre, Fairfax
- Savoy Hotel, Nowata
- Tullahassee
- Bryant Center, Oklahoma City
- Frisco Depot, Clayton
(Hat tip to Oklahoma Route 66 Association; image of the Casa Grande Hotel in Elk City, Oklahoma, by Chantry Banks of Preservation Oklahoma)