Tulsa World: State sites endangered

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

State sites endangered
The list includes midtown Tulsa homes

"Super-sized" new homes are replacing the historic homes of midtown Tulsa, one of the state's most endangered places, according to Preservation Oklahoma. Courtesy

By Staff Reports
Published: 3/9/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 3/9/2009 4:01 AM

More on the endangered sites

A Tulsa neighborhood and the vacant Tulsa Club are among the locations listed by Preservation Oklahoma as the state's most endangered places.

What follows is a list of some of those places, plus the reasons why the locations are part of the compilation, according to Preservation Oklahoma.

MIDTOWN TULSA
"McMansions." "Trophy homes." "Plywood palaces." Whatever the name, these "super-sized" new homes are replacing the historic homes of midtown Tulsa. The national trend, combined with commercial encroachment on the area's fringes, threatens its character.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN SITES
They are threatened by abandonment, neglect, and vandalism. Examples include the historic city hall in Blanchard and the Wright Building and Kerfoot Building in El Reno.

MID-CENTURY MODERN ARCHITECTURE
The term is used to describe structures built from about 1945 to 1965. Examples include the downtown YMCA and the Ponca Savings and Loan building in Tulsa, and the Salvation Army building in Oklahoma City.

ROUTE 66 RESOURCES
Mom-and-pop motor courts, tourist cabins, restaurants, neon signs, roadbeds and bridges are all part of the Route 66 structures that sprang up in the 1920s. Today, many have gone out of business and suffer abandonment.

RURAL CEMETERIES
Some graves are marked with simple markers obscured by brush and grass while others are askew or fallen. Rural cemeteries are threatened by neglect and vandalism.

SEPARATE SCHOOLS
Oklahoma's 1907 Constitution mandated that black and white children must attend separate (racially segregated) schools, a situation that endured nearly half a century. Preservation Oklahoma says these old school buildings are important places that tell a story of a community's life as well as a part of Oklahoma's story. Neglect and vandalism have put the schools in danger of destruction.

State's most endangered historic places to watch

BOLEY HISTORIC DISTRICT
Established in 1903 as a settlement where African-Americans could escape oppression and govern themselves, Boley continues to preserve the legacy of the economic and political freedom achieved by its early pioneers. Its Okfuskee County downtown historic district lacks the economic reinvestment needed for it to flourish.

CHILOCCO INDIAN SCHOOL
Chilocco was an Indian boarding school established to educate children of the nomadic tribes of western Oklahoma. The school grew from one building in 1884 to 35 buildings in 1907. The school offered both academic and vocational instruction. A new use must be found for the Kay County campus to be saved, according to Preservation Oklahoma.

WHEELOCK ACADEMY
It was founded in 1832, shortly after the forced migration known as the Trail of Tears. Alfred and Harriet Wright, New England missionaries, made their way West with the Choctaws. Together they developed a sophisticated educational program at Wheelock, near Millerton in McCurtain County. Lack of funding and deterioration threaten this national landmark. By Staff Reports

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

5 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment DOLOLLY P SNERD, TULSA (3/9/2009 9:19:42 AM) Lack of funding is probably the biggest reason; there are folks really interested. There are quite a number of places--in every town! We've redone a large part of the Greenwood area, cleaned up the old skid row on First Street, saved landmarks like the train depot, old churches, etc. We just don't have the money!!To newcomers, Greenwood was a vibrant part of Tulsa until wiped out in the 1921 racial turmoil.
	Report Comment love 918, (3/9/2009 10:37:47 AM) I'm yet to hear a good argument on why someone can't come to Midtown Tulsa, bulldoze a rotten, out-of-code, unsafe house and build a brand new beautiful home. It just doesn't make sense to me to sacrifice safety and tax revenue for "historic preservation." In the end they are all just piles of wood and brick.
	Report Comment Charley, (3/9/2009 1:00:05 PM) There is one very important thing to remember, about this kind of development. When there are several sites, which have been re-built, to what seems high-priced & overboard, the city will begin to raise taxes on that neighborhood. Thereby possibly placing a burden on some who may be retired.
	Report Comment MsLadybug, tulsa (3/9/2009 1:29:37 PM) Love 918, I think they are just trying to save a little bit of history. I do agree with Charley about the taxes being raised. But I think unless they can prove something of actual value or historic importance occured here(this is how the Oklahoma Historical Society/National registry goes about placement), they should be free game. Maybe they could "re-do" the area like they did Swan Lake. That would be kind of trendy! But then again it would raise taxes. These kind of issues cause so many circular arguments.
	Report Comment OKmodern, Tulsa (3/9/2009 10:55:15 PM) "I'm yet to hear a good argument on why someone can't come to Midtown Tulsa, bulldoze a rotten, out-of-code, unsafe house and build a brand new beautiful home." Nobody is complaining about the former, and everyone is waiting for the latter. The majority of teardowns (also referred to by the oxymoron "infill development") are not taking out blight or condemned housing. And they certainly don't replace it with anything verging on beautiful. Neighborhoods that we find pleasant have a scale and a balance. Sometimes it's large and open- sometimes it's low and quaint. Giant, plywood Garage Mahals plopped into the middle of a midtown neighborhood that is cherished for its atmosphere is like farting in a perfume store.

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.