The long-closed West Winds Motel along Route 66 in Erick, Oklahoma, was named one of the Most Endangered Places by Preservation Oklahoma.
Preservation Oklahoma has presented an annual Endangered Places list that “may increase restoration efforts and possibly ensure their longevity.”
The nonprofit organization seeks nominations from the public each October, and a team of historic preservation professionals decides which properties to include on the list.
This is what Preservation Oklahoma stated about the West Winds:
The West Winds Motel was built in 1948 along Route 66 in Erick. The motel consists of white stucco buildings with red mansard roofs, and a neon sign with a bucking bronco and rider. The western theme was prevalent in Erick during the main days of Route 66. It is currently a private residence, and was nominated due to the concern that it remains preserved for both Route 66 and Erick history.
The City of Erick last year received a $35,710 grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission to restore the motel’s neon sign.
The West Winds closed about 30 years ago. Anthony Reichardt, during a Route 66 road trip in 1993, shot footage outside and inside the motel shortly before it shuttered.
Other properties on this year’s Preservation Oklahoma list:
- The Prairie House, Norman
- Orpheum/Cook Theater, Okmulgee
- Canadian County Jail, El Reno
- The Vogel House, Vinita
- Remnants of WWII POW camp, Alva
- Grady County Historical Society Museum, Chickasha
- Arkansas River Valley Archaeological Sites Associated with Spiro Mounds, Spiro
(Image of the West Winds Motel sign in Erick, Oklahoma, by johrling via Flickr)