Holy City of the Wichitas
This Holy City started as an Easter Passion Play in the Wichita mountains in 1926. The impetus behind both the pageant and city was the late Reverend Anthony Mark Wallock. He was born in 1890 in Austria. He immigrated to the United States with his parents at two years of age. After completing ministerial studies at the Garret Biblical Institute, Wallock served at several churches before coming to Lawton as pastor of the First Congregational Church. In 1926, he took his Sunday school class up a mountain where a tableau of the Resurrection was presented. The popularity of this service led it to become an annual event. In 1927, the service became nonsectarian, and was referred to by the Lawton Constitution as “Oklahoma’s Oberammergau.”
Each year the Passion Play expanded its cast and worshipers. In 1930, it attracted 6,000 people. By 1931, the congregation has swelled to 15,000 with 150 cast members, and by 1934, 40,000 worshipers came. Because of the event’s popularity, it received a grant of $94,000 from “federal funds [that were] unconditionally set aside for the Wichita Mountains Easter Pageant.” The first buildings were completed by the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA); they included walls and gateway to Jerusalem, Calvary’s Mount, the Temple Court, Pilate’s Judgment Hall, Watch Towers, Garden of Gethsemane, dressing rooms and rock shrines. A ceremony to dedicate the Holy City was held in 1935, when the cast for Easter Sunrise Service had grown to 1,200, which included an a capella choir, and Knights Templar from all over the state.
In 1936, more facilities were completed: The Lord’s Supper Building, Herod’s Court, a lodge, control room, and others. The chapel was built to resemble America’s oldest church, Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, where George Washington worshiped. Irene Malcolm donated several years of her life to create Biblical murals and paintings on the ceilings and walls.
A radio broadcast of the pageant took place in 1936, during which a telegram from President Franklin D. Roosevelt was read. That year 2,000 cast members came from 65 cities and towns, and there was a congregation of 100,000. Thousands of tourists have come each year to see the city and the chapel, where various types of chapel services are held, including weddings.
Where it is:
Located approximately 22 miles NW of Lawton, or 10 miles W of I-44 in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
From I-44, take Highway 49 (exit 45). Go west 7 miles to the Refuge gate or 14 miles to the Visitor Center. If coming from Highway 62, take Highway 115 (Cache exit) north to the Refuge Gate. You will find leaflet dispensers inside each of the Refuge gates that have maps and information.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Click map for larger version.
GPS:
Cost:
There is no charge to visit the refuge or the Holy City of the Wichitas.
Hours:
Holy City of the Wichitas Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Oklahoma
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance.
Leave a Reply