Shawnee Friends Mission
National Register of Historic Places

Shawnee Friends Mission

Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
Listed
March 7, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73001569

About this property

The Shawnee Friends Mission is a historic Quaker mission and meeting house south of Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was built around 1880 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Mission work by the Society of Friends began around 1871. The Friends Meeting House, built was built around 1880 and survives in good condition in 1972. Joseph Newsom and his family established a day school at the church in 1871, beginning with seven pupils in attendance during the first year. In 1872, the U.S. government transitioned the school into a federal boarding school. The federal government expanded the grounds to include male and female dormitories, employee quarters, a classroom, a kitchen, and a dining area. The boarding school operated until 1923. In 1924, missionary Charles Wooten purchased the property. By 1936, the Pottawatomie County Historical Society had acquired the site, which had fallen into disrepair. The historical society then leased the property for oil extraction, generating essential funds for repairs to restore it. In 1973, the Shawnee Friends Mission property was added to the National Register of Historic Places—Oklahoma’s National Register of Historic Places I.D. number: 73001569. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation opened a Cultural Heritage Center near the site in 2005. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation now maintains the Friends of Shawnee Mission and the surrounding area. The site is located within the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Reservation

Location

Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
35.29725, -96.92858

Categories

NATIVE AMERICANEDUCATIONRELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Shawnee Friends Mission

This page lists Shawnee Friends Mission. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Shawnee Friends Mission report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Squirrel Creek Bridge
Industrial
0.3 mi
State National Bank Building
Industrial
2.1 mi
Bell Street Historic District
Listed
2.2 mi
Billington Building
Industrial
2.2 mi
Aldridge Hotel
Modern
2.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Shawnee Friends Mission listed on the National Register?

Shawnee Friends Mission was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Shawnee Friends Mission?

Shawnee Friends Mission is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Shawnee Friends Mission?

The period of significance for Shawnee Friends Mission is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1880.

Can I research the history near Shawnee Friends Mission?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Shawnee Friends Mission will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Pottawatomie County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Pottawatomie County.

Explore PottawatomieCounty ›

More historic places in Oklahoma

Browse all historic places in Oklahoma.

View Oklahomahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Oklahoma history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Oklahomahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Shawnee Friends Mission will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report