Oil Capital Historic District (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

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. ==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. ==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. • Hunt Building, 4th and Main, better known as the Brown-Dunkin Department Store, demolished in 1970. • 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. It was replaced by the Tulsa Building & Loan Building at 10-12 East 4th.(originally the Edwards Building, built in 1926.) ==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. 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. Tulsa Club Building The Tulsa Club was founded in 1925 as a social club for wealthy businessmen. The 11-story building, designed by Bruce Goff, was constructed in 1927 on the northwest corner of Fifth Street and Cincinnati Avenue, next to the Philtower Building. The Tulsa Chamber of Commerce owned 40 percent of the building and the club owned 60 percent. The Chamber of Commerce and other organizations used the lower five floors, while the Tulsa Club occupied the top six and a roof garden. The chamber sold its interest to the club in 1952, when it built a new building at 616 South Boston. The club abandoned the building in 1994. It is unclear when California investor C. J. Morony acquired the building. It is even less clear why. Space was never rented, but the building was allowed to deteriorate. Squatters moved and several fires were deliberately set inside. The city tried for seven years to get him to correct code violations, pay delinquent taxes and fees. Bruce Garrett bought the building for $400,000 in April 2013 at a sheriff's sale, and announced plans to renovate it, while preserving the early 20th-century design. A recent news article recounted that vandals took away door knobs, light fixtures, and practically anything else they could pry loose. They also covered the walls with graffiti. Fires were set three times in two weeks during April, 2010, damaging several rooms and disfiguring the exterior walls with scorch marks. In October, 2010, a more serious fire raged through the ballroom on the ninth floor, creating doubts that the building could be saved. Although most developers that had been interested in saving the building lost interest, a Tulsa construction company, the Ross Group, bought the structure in 2015 for $1.5 million. Promise Hotels, became an equity partner. These partners felt they could restore the building to usable condition for $24 million. By 2018, they realized the cost would be $33 million. After the hotel reopened in mid-June 2019, Pete Patel, CEO and President of Promise Hotels, told the Tulsa World that the final cost was about $36 million. He also added, “the most expensive hotel in Tulsa, if not in Oklahoma.” It was constructed in 1929 as the headquarters for Parker Drilling Company, and was known as the Parker Building. The company extensively remodeled it in 1975, then sold it and relocated to Houston in 2001. Apparently the building remained vacant until Parker Drilling Company reacquired it in 2012, as a result of foreclosure. The company then sold the building to the Anish Hotel Group, who announced that the building will be converted into a hotel. Since the recent sale, it has been renamed as the 8 East 3rd Street Building. As of March 2014, the 3rd Street Building project was on hold. Because a large number of hotel projects were being considered for Downtown Tulsa, some concern have arisen about whether there would be sufficient demand for all these to survive. In an interview, Anish Hotel Group founder, Andy Patel, said that the company is also thinking about converting the former Parker Building to residences or office spaces. Palace Building Also known as the Excaliber Building and the 324 South Main Building, the structure was reportedly owned by the Tulsa World in 2012. For several years, it had been vacant, except for an Arby's restaurant on the ground floor. Rumors that the building would be demolished were denied by the newspaper. Tulsa-based Consumer Affairs reportedly has remodeled the severely damaged top floors and has moved some of its headquarters staff into the new space, according to a brief announcement. A previous article noted that Consumer Affairs is a web-based consumer activist organization that was based in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, before moving to Tulsa in 2010. It had announced when beginning the remodel project that it was considering leasing an additional six floors of the building. ==Gallery==

Street views File:Tulsa Oklahoma Downtown Buildings.jpg|Looking north on Boston Avenue from 6th Street intersection File:Downtown Tulsa.jpg|Looking north east between Main Street (left) and Boston Avenue (right). Philtower is right of center; Thompson Building is left of center; Mid-continent Building is behind the Philtower. Photo in 2008 by Caleb Long. File:Philtower-Building-Tulsa-Oklahoma.jpg|Several buildings in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. Philtower: Orange top, brick building in the center foreground; Mid-Continent Tower: to the right of Philtower with the greenish roof; First Place Tower: to the left of Philtower. Contributing buildings File:320 S Boston Tulsa OK.jpg|320 S Boston Building, formerly National Bank of Tulsa, is now a general office building File:Philtower in Tulsa.jpg|Philtower Building has been converted to a mixed office and residential building File:Philcade in downtown Tulsa.jpg|515 South Boston Buildingformerly known as Philtower, Amoco and Stanolind Buildings File:Mid-Continent Tower.jpg|401 South Bostonoriginal 20-story building expanded in 1984 to present height File:First National Bank, Tulsa.jpg|First National Bank, 5th Street & Boston Avenue File:Mincks-Adams Hotel.jpg|Mincks-Adams Hotel (later known as Adams Hotel)403 South Cheyenne Avenue File:Petroleum Building Tulsa 00.png|Petroleum Building111 West 5th Street File:Mayo Building Tulsa - 02 - Front.png|Mayo Building420 S. Main File:AtlasLifeBuildingTulsa.jpg|Former Atlas Life Building (since converted to a hotel) File:Thompson Building, Tulsa. OK.jpg|Thompson Building File:Sinclair Building in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.jpg|Sinclair Building6 East 5th Street File:Tulsa World.jpg|Tulsa World Building File:PSOBuildingTulsa2.jpg|Public Service of Oklahoma Building2 West 6th Street File:ONGBuildingTulsa.jpg|Former ONG Building File:Bank of America Center2.jpg|Bank of America Center (Formerly 4th National Bank) File:United States Post Office and Courthouse - Tulsa, OK.jpg|Former main post office File:Tulsa Municipal Building.jpg|Former Tulsa Municipal Building115 East 4th Street File:OklahomaNatureGasCoBuilding.jpg|Oklahoma Natural Gas Co. Building624 South Boston Avenue Non-contributing buildings File:ParkCentreBldgTulsa.jpg|Park Centre Building (1973)525 Main Street File:Mayo Motor Inn Parking Garage.jpg|Former Mayo Hotel Garage ==Additional information==

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Retrieved June 19, 2014. (Also available here .) ==Notes==