Abandoned Oklahoma

Abandoned Oklahoma Saving History Sooner! Our goal is to educate and document so that we never lose sight of our history!

Apart of the Abandoned Atlas Foundation, we are a team of photojournalists that travel the state to preserve the historic buildings of Oklahoma.

10/10/2026

Chandler high school cleanup! 

10/10/2026

Cleaning out in Abandoned high school in Chandler Oklahoma Oklahoma! Volunteers welcome! Today, tomorrow and next weekend!

Message us for the address and detail details.

Location: St. Cloud Hotel (DEMOLISHED)Full History: https://abandonedok.com/st-cloud-hotel/Short History: John E. Gormle...
09/25/2026

Location: St. Cloud Hotel (DEMOLISHED)
Full History: https://abandonedok.com/st-cloud-hotel/
Short History: John E. Gormley had a vision for South Manvel, which would take the form of the St Cloud Hotel. He purchased lot 21 in block 77 for $500 and began construction on a 50x100-foot two-story building. Built of cut stone and a large window storefront, Gaines & Baker took the contract. The hotel was to fill a void in the City of Chandler's hotel facilities.

Business must have been successful because less than a year later John E. Gormley announced that he would be constructing a brick 45x80-foot, two-story addition to the south side of the hotel. The upper story of this addition would be occupied by the St. Cloud Hotel. The use of the first floor was originally undecided, but later became a dining room and kitchen. J. R. Gaines secured the contract for the stonework, S.W. Longest for the brick work, J.R. Tolbert and J.H. Hawkins got the carpenter work. Together, this became known as Gormley's Block.

But the building you see today is not the original. A devastating fire burned the original hotel building down leaving only the brick shell in 1910. Owner Gormley, unfortunately, had the building underinsured by about $14,000. The community was left wondering if the best hotel in their city was gone for good.

Fortunately, the 1904 addition on the right was spared from the destructive flames and only received minor damage. Over the next few months, Gormely would have repairs made to that side and reopen it in June 1910 for occupancy once again. After how many ups and downs had been experienced running the hotel and the amount of loss he took from the lack of insurance, one would probably give up on rebuilding the original section of the hotel on the north side. But he didn't. Over the next two or so years, he worked slowly to rebuild the burnt-down section of the hotel.

ABANDONED HIGH SCHOOL - Clean-up Events! Since the release of our documentary about the Chandler Memorial school, everyo...
09/19/2026

ABANDONED HIGH SCHOOL - Clean-up Events!
Since the release of our documentary about the Chandler Memorial school, everyone has been asking how they can help. Well, now we have official volunteer days throughout the month of October!

Three cleanup weekends. Clear desks, debris, and junk so Friends of Chandler HS can get this Route 66 landmark ready for restoration.

Oct 10-11 · Oct 17-18 · Oct 24-25
Check-in 8:00 AM (wrap around 4:00 PM)
515 Steele Ave, Chandler, OK

Easiest way to jump in: RSVP on Facebook for the weekend(s) you can work.
Weekend 1: https://www.facebook.com/events/1766128524655211
Weekend 2: https://www.facebook.com/events/2256976398429066
Weekend 3: https://www.facebook.com/events/2355896705147639

Full details + signup form: https://friendsofchandlerhs.com/volunteer-cleanup/

Bring gloves, closed-toe shoes, water, and clothes you can get dirty. 16+ (under 18 need a parent/guardian for the waiver).

Can't make it? Dumpsters and supplies still need help: https://friendsofchandlerhs.com/donate/

Let's get this school cleared. Tag a friend who will show up.

Location: Seminole High SchoolFull History: https://abandonedok.com/seminole-high-school/Short History: During the Summe...
09/11/2026

Location: Seminole High School
Full History: https://abandonedok.com/seminole-high-school/
Short History: During the Summer of 1929, the voters of School District No. 17 were set to vote on a $100,000 brand-new high school. The building would be much grander than the current high school with the most modern and updated facilities. There was no public opposition to the new school and that was reflected in the passing of the bond.

But in an effort to make sure that Seminole had the best of the best, after drawing up the official plans the building's estimated cost came out to be $130,000+ MORE than originally anticipated. It was only six months later that construction on the project began with R.H. Chase and Sons being the winning bidder. Chase said that the building's foundation must be "sounded 25 feet deep" noting that this wasn't standard but would make for a safer and stronger building.

The school was to be one of the most modern in the state at that time and was strictly fireproof with brick, concrete, steel, and very little wood used in the construction. Chase and Sons was well known in the Seminole community; at that time, they had done over a million dollars in construction projects throughout the town, with the new high school being the crown jewel of them all. R.H. Chase, head of the company, actually stated he lost money on the high school with his low bid, and he did it more so to be a staple for Chase and Sons' legacy.

Location: Llewellyn FlatsFull History: https://abandonedok.com/llewellyn-flats/Short History: It's not often that I come...
08/28/2026

Location: Llewellyn Flats
Full History: https://abandonedok.com/llewellyn-flats/
Short History: It's not often that I come across an abandoned building I didn't already know about. But the Llewellyn Flats building caught me completely by surprise. I was driving through Muskogee last summer, and on the opposite side of the road, I saw an almost pink building with the first tell-tale sign of an abandoned building, boarded up windows.

I turned the car around and safely pulled over to get a closer look and admire the architectural details. The second thing I noticed was the large "LLEWELLYN" at the very top of the building. I especially love it when a building has the name displayed prominently on its facade. It signifies how permanent the community believed these buildings to be.

You see, when a lot of our historic buildings were being built here in Oklahoma throughout the 18o0s and into the early 1900s, most were built entirely or mostly out of wood. This meant that many buildings were lost to fire or weather disasters easily. And then in the 1900s, a sweeping movement was made to build with brick and concrete, which was said to be "fireproof". So it's no surprise that builders back then thought of these buildings as permanently serving as their originally intended purpose; they didn't really have any experience with restoring structures in that nature.

08/28/2026

🏫 Help Us Bring Blackburn's Historic School Back to Life

Every small town has a place that tells its story.

For Blackburn, it's our historic school and gymnasium.

For generations, these buildings were the heart of our community—where children learned, basketball games brought neighbors together, and lifelong memories were made. Today, they still stand as a symbol of Blackburn's history and potential, but they need significant restoration to serve future generations.

The Make Blackburn Beautiful Project has a bold vision: renovate the historic school and gymnasium into a vibrant community gathering place once again.

This is more than preserving old buildings. It's about creating opportunities for our future—a place where community events, youth activities, educational programs, celebrations, and new traditions can thrive.

To make this vision a reality, we're looking for a lead corporate partner or philanthropic donor willing to invest in the future of Blackburn. A transformational gift can help preserve an important piece of Oklahoma history while creating a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Every great community project begins with someone who believes it's possible.

Could that someone be you—or your company?

If you know a business, foundation, or individual who shares our passion for rural communities and historic preservation, we'd love to start a conversation.

Together, we can restore more than a building—we can restore a community landmark.

📩 Interested in becoming a founding partner or major sponsor? Contact the Blackburn Town Council to learn how you can make a lasting impact.

Location: Shannonhouse Home (DEMOLISHED)History: While I would love to know the original family that owned this home, we...
08/14/2026

Location: Shannonhouse Home (DEMOLISHED)
History: While I would love to know the original family that owned this home, we are going with the name of the last family to occupy it. According to the county assessor's office, this home was built sometime around 1911. Unfortunately, all of the Sanborn Maps that I could find for Oklahoma City did not include this portion of town to allow me to double-check that information. Without further information about its earlier occupants and not finding any maps or photos of the area, research on the beginning of its life is at a standstill, for now.

What I could do was work backwards. What I was able to confirm was that Mary Pruitt, a local beloved teacher, moved into this home in the early 1950s. Mary lived here for around a decade and often hosted events surrounding teaching and for her students at the home.

Sadly, she began experiencing quite a few health issues in the early 1960s. A few articles detail a surgery and then an additional surgery, which was not intended for her to be in the hospital for more than a few days. This wasn't what ended up happening, as she reportedly had a "long stay" where her students, friends, and family sent her many cards and flowers wishing her to get better.

I couldn't find any remaining information on what came of this, but the house was put up for sale in 1962. The two-story home sat on 3 1/2 acres at the time and was going for just $30,000. Joseph III and Edna Shannonhouse purchased the home in 1963 from Mary. The family lived here until 1970, when they sold the house to the neighboring Eastside Church of Christ.

Eastside Church of Christ then turned the home into a temporary childcare center. Each room had cubby holes with children's names above them. Toys were scattered across the floor, covered in dirt and grime. But it wasn't long after that the church decided to vacate the building, leaving it abandoned for many years, leaving the house badly deteriorated.

The church still owns the land to this day and obtained a permit to demolish the home in November 2012, carrying out the demolition in the following months. The address of this home was 1601 NE 36th St Oklahoma City, OK 73111, if you know any history of the home, please feel free to comment on this article!

Location: Chandler High School (VIDEO COMING SOON)Full History: https://abandonedok.com/chandler-high-school/Short Histo...
07/31/2026

Location: Chandler High School (VIDEO COMING SOON)
Full History: https://abandonedok.com/chandler-high-school/
Short History: Just off the iconic Route 66 sits a WPA architectural wonder, waiting to be restored. The old Chandler High School doesn't usually have many visitors, but one weekend out of the year, when the CHS Alumni Association throws its annual parade and reunion, you can see students trickling through to marvel at the memories it holds.

The idea for what is now the former Chandler High School started back in the late 1930s. As the district grew, it continued to struggle with adequate space to host the students. With the help of the Tulsa architectural firm, Koberling & Fleming, the Chandler School Board President accepted plans for the new building.

Made possible by the WPA, this was known as government project No. 41-4025. At the time, the cost was estimated to be around $80,000, with $50,213 to be provided by the government and the rest to be covered by local contributions through bonds and materials. The old building was to be demolished carefully so that as many materials as possible could be salvaged, adding another $8,200 to be covered. At the beginning, a crew of around a hundred workers kept the project on track and moving as quickly as possible. Native rock, a staple of WPA buildings, was quarried from the Pospiesel farm.

Revised plans were made to change the design of the building to a partial two-story classroom building and an auditorium to seat almost 1,000 persons. With these revised plans, some miscalculations in the cost of materials were made. Work was halted temporarily in May 1941 as additional pleas for money were made to the public. But just a month later, the district ran out of money to continue work and had to renegotiate with the WPA for additional funds. While these negotiations were made, work was halted, leaving the public uncertain of what was to come.

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