Published: November 1, 2010

Bradley School Building Total Loss

following Sunday morning blaze

By Debi Desilver Terry

Fire claimed a landmark in the small Grady County town of Bradley early Sunday morning.

County Fire Chief Perry Wenzel said the school building, which was built in 1940 by the WPA, was already 75 percent engulfed when crews got the call about 1:30 a.m. He said fire departments from Alex, Naples, Ninnekah and Farwell responded.

“It appears the building had been burning about 30 to 45 minutes before we got the call,” Wenzel said. “We had it under control by about 6 a.m. and worked on hot spots until about 8 a.m. It was a total loss.”

The cause of the fire was ruled as undetermined, Wenzel said, and the fire marshal was called out to investigate.

“If anybody saw anything or knows anything about this fire, please call either the fire department or sheriff’s department,” Wenzel asked.

The building, which was privately owned by a Blanchard man and not in use as a school, was in excellent shape, the fire chief said.

According to historical information at the website bradley-ok.us/History, the first Bradley school was built in 1886 and burned down before 1905. In 1887, the first classes were taught by subscription.

In 1905, a second school was built with donations from the community, but was hit by a tornado in 1906. The next year, a third school was built with state money. Just a few weeks after Oklahoma statehood, the Bradley School District No. 63 was established on Dec. 9, 1907. In 1939, the third school building was condemned, according to the website.

Records show that on Dec. 11, 1939, land for the fourth school building was acquired by a petition to the county and in 1940 the WPA approved a budget of $48,367 for Bradley to build a new one-story school. In 1968, Bradley lost its high school due to low attendance and state funding cuts.

In May 1990, the school was annexed by the town of Alex and records show that in 1997 the Alex head start classes were discontinued.

In 2004, the school’s former janitor purchased the school building and then later sold it to a business man, according to the website.

Source: Chickasha Express-Star