Oil Capital Historic District (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

The Oil Capital Historic District (OCHD) is an area in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma that commemorates the success of the oil business in Tulsa during the early 20th century. During this period, Tulsa was widely known as "The Oil Capital of the World." The area is bounded by 3rd Street on the north and 7th Street on the south, Cincinnati Avenue on the east and Cheyenne Avenue on the west.National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Oil Capital Historic District. Retrieved June 19, 2014.

Early in the 20th century, Oklahoma emerged as a major producer of oil and gas. Many of the companies that would become notable in the energy industry located either their home offices or major regional offices in Downtown Tulsa, often constructing architecturally significant buildings to house them. Supporting companies such as equipment suppliers, banks, insurers, utilities and even hotels quickly followed suit. However, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the domestic oil business began to decline and companies began consolidating in other cities, these former office buildings became surplus. Some buildings were converted to other functions, but some others were razed for parking lots or freeways. Tulsans who became concerned about the loss of these historic and cultural landmarks began to work on adapting them for newer and more economic functions. The creation of the Oil Capital Historic District was implemented as a way to slow the losses while the plan was realized.

Building classifications As part of the application process, all of the significant buildings within the proposed district boundaries were labeled as either "Contributing" or "non-contributing". Buildings in the former category had to meet certain criteria: Built between 1910 and 1967 Involved in some aspect of the oil business during that time Had not lost their historical character through remodeling or conversion to other uses

The application states that the district contains 72 resources (69 buildings, 2 sites and one object). These were further classified as 40 contributing, 18 non-contributing and 14 which had previously been listed in the National Register.

The table presented here identifies the buildings contained by the OCHD, as defined in the NRHP application. Data are largely derived from text descriptions in the application. They are listed by street address, beginning in the northeast corner of the district (3rd Street and Cincinnati.Avenue). Several architectural styles are represented in the district: Art Deco, Beaux Arts, Classical Revival, Commercial Style, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Modern Movement. Some buildings do not conform to any particular style.

+Notable buildings in Oil Capital Historic District NameAddressYear BuiltArchitectural StyleNotesParker Building8 East 3rd1929Gothic RevivalNon-Contributing24 East 3rd Building24 East 3rd1953Modern MovementContributingWright Building115 West 3rd1922Classical RevivalContributingCastle Building116 West 3rd1925Classical RevivalContributingTulsa Federal Employees Credit Union Building120 West 3rd1971Modern MovementNon-ContributingWright Building Annex115 West 3rd1916Commercial StyleContributingReunion Building9 East 4th1919Classical RevivalContributingMid-Continent Parking Garage117 East 4th1955No distinctive styleNon-ContributingTulsa Municipal Building124 East 4th1917Greek RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #75001574Tulsa World Building23 West 4th1917Greek RevivalContributingTulsa World Annex23 West 4th1970Classic RevivalNon-ContributingIrving Building110 West 4th1925Art DecoContributingDowntowner Motel121 West 4th1961Modern MovementContributingSinclair Building6 East 5th Street1917Beaux ArtsContributingMcFarlin Building9 East 5th Street1918ItalianateContributing; previously listed as NRIS #79002030First National Tower/Chase Bank15 East 5th Street1949Modern MovementContributingVandever Building16 East 5th Street1920Classical RevivalContributingThompson Building20 East 5th Street1924Classical RevivalContributingUniversity Club Building114 East 5th Street1924Classical RevivalContributingTulsa Club Building115 East 5th Street1927Art DecoContributingMayo Building5 West 5th Street 1915Classical RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #08001152Gillette-Tyrrell Building (a.k.a. Pythian Building19 West 5th Street 1930Art Deco:ZigzagContributing; previously listed as NRIS #82003703Petroleum Building111 West 5th Street 1921Classical RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #82003706Mayo Hotel115 West 5th Street1925Classical RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #80003303Service Pipeline Building119 East 6th Street1949Art Deco/Streamline ZigzagContributingPublic Service Co. of Oklahoma Building2 West 6th Street1929Art Deco: ZigzagContributing; previously listed as NRIS #84003443Fourth National Bank Building15 West 6th Street1967Modern MovementContributing Now renamed Bank of America CenterHoliday Inn/Downtown Plaza17 West 7th1965Modern MovementContributing320 South Boston Building/ Exchange National Bank/ National Bank of Tulsa320 South Boston Avenue1917 & 1928Beaux ArtsContributingKennedy Building321 South Boston Avenue1918Beaux ArtsContributing400 South Boston Avenue400 South Boston Avenue1967Modern MovementContributingCosden Building/Mid-Continent Tower Building409 South Boston Avenue1918 & 1984Gothic RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #792002029410 South Boston Avenue Building15 East 5th Street1974Modern MovementNon-ContributingAtlas Life Building415 South Boston Avenue 1922Classical RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #09000358Philtower Building427 South Boston Avenue1927Classical RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #79002032Philcade Building501 South Boston Avenue1930Art Deco: ZigzagContributing; previously listed as NRIS #86002196Day Building514 South Boston Avenue1925Commercial StyleContributingFawcett Building515 South Boston Avenue1934Art Deco: PWAContributingPan American South Building519 South Boston Avenue1967Modern MovementContributing522 South Boston Avenue Building522 South Boston Avenue1954Modern MovementNon-Contributing601 South Boston AvenueParking Garage1954No distinctive styleContributing616 South Boston Avenue Building616 South Boston Avenue 1951ModerneContributingOklahoma Natural Gas Company Building624 South Boston Avenue1928Art Deco: PWAContributing; previously listed as NRIS #84003458Ponca City Savings and Loan Building633 South Boston Avenue1956Modern MovementContributingMasonic Temple706 South Boston Avenue1923Beaux ArtsContributingFirst Presbyterian Church709 South Boston1926 & 1953Gothic RevivalContributingUnited States Post Office and Courthouse224 South Boulder Avenue1917 & 1934Classical RevivalContributing; previously listed as NRIS #00000244320 South Boulder Avenue Building320 South Boulder Avenue1917No distinctive styleNon-ContributingBeacon Building406 South Boulder Avenue1923Beaux ArtsContributingPetroleum Club601 South Boulder Avenue1965Modern MovementContributingMid-Co Building302 South Cheyenne Avenue1918Beaux ArtsContributingMincks-Adams Hotel403 South Cheyenne Avenue1928Mixed StyleContributing; previously listed as NRIS #78002273308 South Cincinnati Avenue308 South Cincinnati Avenue Building1919No distinctive styleNon-Contributing414 South Cincinnati Avenue Building414 South Cincinnati Avenue 1965No distinctive styleContributingUniversity of Tulsa Law School512 South Cincinnati Avenue1949Art Deco: Streamline/ZigzagContributing610 South Cincinnati Avenue610 South Cincinnati Avenue Building1959Modern MovementContributing;309 South Main Street Building309 South Main Street 1930No distinctive styleNon-ContributingRenberg Building311 South Main Street1947Modern MovementContributing312 South Main Street Building312 South Main Street 1970Modern MovementNon-ContributingDrexel Building317 South Main Street1910 renovated c. 1950No distinctive styleContributingPalace Building324 South Main Street1913Art Deco: ZigzagContributingParking Garage402 South Main Street1975No distinctive styleNon-Contributing502 South Main Street Building502 South Main Street 1981Modern MovementNon-ContributingKetchum Hotel/Oil Capital Building507 South Main Street1915, renovated in 1947Commercial StyleContributing515 South Main Street Building515 South Main Street1986Modern MovementNon-Contributing525 South Main Street Building (Park Centre Building)525 South Main Street1973Modern MovementNon-Contributing610 South Main Street Building610 South Main Street1929Beaux ArtsContributing616 South Main Street Building616 South Main Street1929Beaux ArtsContributing

Oil Industry decline The importance of Tulsa in the oil industry, as well as the impact of the oil industry on Tulsa, declined as the United States began to rely more heavily on cheaper offshore and imported oil. Major international companies downsized or eliminated their Tulsa offices and moved to cities nearer the coasts, especially after foreign countries began exerting more control over their own oil resources. The Arab Oil Embargo accelerated the trend. The International Petroleum Exposition, which had drawn a record number of visitors in 1966, faded in importance and occurred less frequently until it was permanently cancelled after the 1979 show.Weaver, Bobby D. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "International Petroleum Exposition." Retrieved May 7, 2014.

District buildings demolished 1967-2010 Notable buildings in or very near the OCHD that were demolished during the decline of the oil business and the creation of the district include: Bethlehem Steel Building, 2nd and Boston, razed in 1970 Bliss Hotel 2nd & Boston, Built in 1929 and razed in February 1973."Urban Renewal - What we lost." Tulsa Gal blog. March 10, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2014. Hunt Building, 4th and Main, better known as the Brown-Dunkin Department Store, demolished in 1970. Medical Arts Building, 6th and Boulder, demolished in July 1970. Hotel Tulsa, 3rd and Cincinnati. Demolished 1972. Skelly Building, 23 West 4th, A 9-story office of the Skelly Oil companies, demolished 2004.Excaliber Building won't be demolished, Tulsa World says." Wall, Holly. This Land Press. May 17, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2014. Orpheum Theater, 12 East 4th Street, opened in 1917 as a vaudeville theater, then switched to movies in 1931. Closed in March 1970 and was demolished in May 1970."Forgotten Tulsa Orpheum Theater." June 29, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2014."Cinema Treasures: Orpheum Theater." Retrieved July 18, 2014. It was replaced by the Tulsa Building & Loan Building at 10-12 East 4th.(originally the Edwards Building, built in 1926.) Retrieved July 18, 2014.

Current status of selected surviving buildings

First Place Tower This building was completed in 1973 and previously housed, in succession, the First National Bank of Tulsa and a Citicorp branch. Citicorp vacated the premises in 2012. ONE Gas, Inc. planned to move its headquarters to this building in 2014.Evatt, Robert. "CBRE sues Kanbar Properties." Tulsa World. June 5, 2014. Accessed December 23, 2015.

Sinclair Building According to a Tulsa World article, a Tulsa County District Judge ruled that the City of Tulsa and the Central Park Owners Association Inc. could foreclose on the Sinclair Building because the current owner was in arrears on $270,000 for taxes, fees and penalties. The sale could be sold at a sheriff's auction, after a 30-day appeal period, unless the owner reaches a settlement agreement with the city and other creditors.Canfield, Kevin. "Tulsa's historic Sinclair Building could soon be sold at auction." Tulsa World. June 3, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.

Tulsa Club Building