During the Harry Truman Presidency, a major renovation of the White House took place. From 1948 to 1952, workmen dismantled much of the building’s interior, saving wood trim, doors, hardware and other visible details for future use. This attitude of preserving architectural details was also employed during the renovation of the Wiley Post Building to become the Oklahoma Judicial Center.
During the White House renovation, surplus wood was sold to the public in the form of gavel kits at the rate of $2 each. This gavel was made by Glen John Carver, a farmer who served in the Iowa state legislature from 1941 to 1944. His collection was passed to his descendant, Nyle Raymond Taylor, who bequeathed it to Oklahoma City attorney Gary Payne. Payne donated the gavel to the Oklahoma Judicial Center Collection when he was sworn in as an Oklahoma City Municipal Judge by Justice Yvonne Kauger on August 28, 2012.