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Sayre Downtown Historic District, Oklahoma

Historic district
In Sayre, Oklahoma
0.1 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The Sayre Downtown Historic District covers three blocks of Main and 4th Streets in Sayre, OK, less than a mile off the main route line. Its brick storefronts date mostly from the early 1900s, and in the 1920s Route 66 was routed straight through them, bringing a steady flow of customers. A 1938 post office with a 1940 WPA mural is one of its highlights.

What is Sayre Downtown Historic District?

The district holds 39 buildings, 24 of which count as contributing to its historic character. Most are brick Commercial style buildings. The Classical Revival post office is among them, and inside it hangs a mural painted in 1940 under the Works Progress Administration.

History of Sayre Downtown Historic District

Between 1903 and 1909 a building boom swept away Sayre's early wooden storefronts and put brick ones in their place. By the 1920s the downtown had reached the size it is today. Route 66 arrived during that decade, sending highway traffic right past the shop doors.

The good years lasted until the 1950s. Falling population and the loss of Route 66 traffic to the bypass then cut into business downtown.

Visiting Sayre Downtown Historic District: tips

Park once and walk; the district is compact, and 30 minutes is enough for a stroll. The Sayre Champlin Service Station is about 0.1 miles away and the J. W. Danner House about 0.2 miles away, so both fit into the same walk. The ghost town of Hext is about 7 miles away.