The Enid Armory is located in Enid, Oklahoma and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 since 1988. The two story building was constructed in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Administration

The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

 project. It was the third largest Armory in Oklahoma.

Of the WPA-built armories in Oklahoma, the Enid Armory was the only one utilizing red brick in its construction. The Oklahoma National Guard

Oklahoma National Guard

The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Department of the Military, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Governor of Oklahoma is Commander-in-Chief of the Oklahoma National...

 trained soldiers for combat in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and Korea. In 2005, the BRAC Commission voted to close 53 state armories and build Armed Forces Reserve Centers, including one at Vance Air Force Base

Vance Air Force Base

Vance Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located 6 km south of downtown Enid, Oklahoma, and within its city limits, about north northwest of Oklahoma City...

. The Enid Armory location has been approved by city commissioners as a new site for Garfield Elementary School

Enid Public Schools

Enid Public Schools is a public school district located in Enid, Oklahoma. The school district has an enrollment of 6,636 students as of October 2008.-Elementary schools:*Adams Elementary School*Coolidge Elementary School*Eisenhower Elementary School...

, and will be demolished by the Enid Public School system, pending the opening of the Armed Forces Reserve Center at Vance.

The first Enid Armory was constructed in 1925 at Phillips University

Phillips University

Phillips University was a private, coeducational institution of higher education located in Enid, Oklahoma, United States, from 1906 to 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church . It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary...

. The 189th Field Artillery Regiment of the Oklahoma National Guard was stationed at Phillips from 1921 to 1936. On July 7, 1933, Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...

and Buck Barrow broke into the armory, stealing a cache of weapons and ammunition and a pair of binoculars. Their take was so large it filled their car, causing seating difficulty, and overflowed from the bathtub they'd used as storage.