I have, over time, collected photos of some downtown buildings that have been demolished. The "some" is actually quite regrettable when you see how many I have found, and can see them all at one time. I have also included a few interesting buildings at the end that were not directly downtown, like the old municipal art-deco airport.
I hope I have not added any buildings to this list that actually exist lol. I have noticed that many buildings in our downtown have changed names over the years and have been remodeled or added onto. However, if you have any photos of other buildings that I do not have on here please add them. I would like to keep this thread to mostly buildings that were in or near downtown. I also added some interior shots of the Mayo Hotel, since basically that has been "lost" as well.
I have done some photoshop work to many of the pics in order to clarify and enhance as much detail in the old photos as I could.
The Orpheum
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2536/orpheum3gw7.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5646/orpheumtulsaok1fe7.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3246/orpheum4gz7.jpg)
The Ritz
(http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5564/ritzlb3.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/849/ritztheaterstageek2.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3280/ritztheaterlobbyhy8.jpg)
(http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/9466/ritzmezaninedl1.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8697/ritzfoyerke0.jpg)
Akdar
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5513/akdartheaterjl8.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5912/akdardancelb4.jpg)
Coliseum
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6804/coliseum1req7.jpg)
Mayo Lobby and dining room.
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2517/mayolobby1re2.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3061/mayodining1mf4.jpg)
The Alvin Hotel
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3817/alvinhotel2ds6.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8598/alvinhotellobbyhz8.jpg)
Hotel Tulsa
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3457/hoteltulsaeq9.jpg)
Brady Hotel
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6704/bradyhotel1911dz5.jpg)
Halliburton/ Abbot/ Skaggs Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7645/halliburtonabbotclothinoz7.jpg)
Daniel Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/242/danielbuildinghoteltulszk7.jpg)
Medical Arts Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2585/medicalartsbuildingdemoyw3.jpg)
McBirney Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/384/mcbirneybldtulsaec0.jpg)
Pioneer Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6539/pioneerbuildingoo9.jpg)
Central National Bank Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9008/centralnationalbank1914mb0.jpg)
Reeder Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6238/reederbuilding1920sls3.jpg)
Clinton Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/1100/clintonbuildingonbostonil0.jpg)
County Courthouse
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5215/tulsacountycourthousedemn6.jpg)
Carnegie Library
(http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/6335/carnegielibrarytulsaca4.jpg)
YWCA
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9166/ymcablddemolishedgx0.jpg)
Opera House/Grand Theater
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8015/operahouse2lk4.jpg)
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/2551/grandtheatermscfg615ls0.jpg)
Municipal Airport
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9101/term2early50slu8.jpg)
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6271/terminalipecropyk5.jpg)
Morningside Hospital
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5193/morningsidehospitaltulsrl6.jpg)
High School
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9817/highschooltulsa1jf7.jpg)
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5316/tulsaoklachurchessizedab4.jpg)
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6910/tulsaoklaschoolssizedsg7.jpg)
Elks Lodge
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5012/elkslodge3rdboulderdemoey2.jpg)
Goodwill Industries building.
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2295/goodwillindustriesff0.jpg)
Palace Clothiers
(http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7136/palaceclothiers2sy7.jpg)
Couple shots of downtown.
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7680/downtownparadetulsa1954bs9.jpg)
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/518/downtownzi8.jpg)
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/857/card00485frdq5.jpg)
Cablecar
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3061/tulsacablecar2to0.jpg)
Thanks for posting these, particularly the beautiful theater pictures. And I had never seen pictures showing the detail on our old airport terminal.
A couple of notes:
The Skaggs Drug building is the Halliburton-Abbott building. It was at the southwest corner of 5th & Boulder, and was demolished along with the YWCA (to its west), the Court Arcade Building (to its south), and the Continental Trailways bus depot (to its southwest) circa 1980 to make way for Cities Service's big new HQ. (It is now known as the Oneok Tower and, like its neighbor, the Pythian Building, is considerably shorter than designed.) I recall a petition being circulated to protest the demolition, but it had no effect.
The building you've labeled the YMCA was actually the YWCA, southeast corner of 5th & Cheyenne.
The Orcutt school building is still there. It became part of Lincoln School and is now home to Jason's Deli.
I wonder whether the Morningside Hospital building is still there on Hillcrest's campus. Drive south on Utica and look right as you approach 12th Street. Notice the detail between the first and second floors and then higher up. It's like they took that ornate building, squared it up, and painted it to hide the detail. Check it out and see what you think.
MichaelBates beat me to the punch on some of those clarifications. Yes, the Morningside building is indeed still there, as a part of the Hillcrest campus, but the ornamentation is barely visible behind the "updated" facade and gray paint.
Thank you TheArtist for those wonderful images. Very neat, yet very depressing.
Great pictures thanks.
Didnt the Coliseum burn down and was never rebuilt?
Thank you for the corrections. I never would have made the Oricutt, Lincoln, Jasons Deli connection lol. I am going to leave the Morningside pic up, simply because I haven't ever seen it, so it might as well be lost to me lol. I will however go by there and try to see where it is. And yes, I have noticed in several pics that there are many buildings near the one named that no longer exist either.
Other than the theater houses. The one building that really bothers me as being lost is the County Courthouse. What a solid, stately, well proportioned, classic building. One could easily imagine so many uses for such a building today.
Wow. That's really a tragedy. I don't know what else to say. Tearing down one of these for parking (TULSA WORLD!!!!!!!) is just amazing. I suppose the real blame lies with the city for allowing the demand for structures to fall off so much that it makes financial sense to do so.
In any event, what a loss. Imagine how cool downtown could be with a those still standing. [V]
Incredible pics, Artist. Thanks for going to the trouble of cleaning them up and posting them.
You're right, it's very depressing to see how many fantastic buildings we have demolished over just the past few decades.
btw...great name for a thread. :)
quote:
Originally posted by DM
Great pictures thanks.
Didnt the Coliseum burn down and was never rebuilt?
Yes. It burned in 1952. It was on the east side of Elgin between 5th and 6th. The land is now a surface parking lot. I don't think there has ever been another building on that site. When I was checking land records last year, someone with the name "King" still owned the land, suggesting that it had remained in Sam Avey's family all these years. (Developer Ramon King was Avey's son-in-law and the father of Sharon King Davis.) I understand that it was recently sold to Global Development Partners, who now own the entire block.
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Other than the theater houses. The one building that really bothers me as being lost is the County Courthouse. What a solid, stately, well proportioned, classic building. One could easily imagine so many uses for such a building today.
At one point after the new Courthouse was built, they considered using it as a Central Library. The Bank of America building is there now.
It's interesting that Tulsa never had a courthouse square. I wonder why not. The old courthouse was squeezed into one corner of the block.
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
It's interesting that Tulsa never had a courthouse square. I wonder why not. The old courthouse was squeezed into one corner of the block.
Same goes for the old City Hall. At least we still have that building.
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Other than the theater houses. The one building that really bothers me as being lost is the County Courthouse. What a solid, stately, well proportioned, classic building. One could easily imagine so many uses for such a building today.
At one point after the new Courthouse was built, they considered using it as a Central Library. The Bank of America building is there now.
It's interesting that Tulsa never had a courthouse square. I wonder why not. The old courthouse was squeezed into one corner of the block.
I have always wondered why we dont have a central square, cathedral square, town square,market square, or whatever you want to call it. Often a church is on one side then the courthouse or government building on the other with a fountain in the middle. Seems to be a basic point that every city, large and small has, that we never had. Thats why whenever I get the chance I push for having one in front of Holy Family Cathedral where the parking lot is.
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
I have always wondered why we dont have a central square, cathedral square, town square,market square, or whatever you want to call it. Often a church is on one side then the courthouse or government building on the other with a fountain in the middle. Seems to be a basic point that every city, large and small has, that we never had. Thats why whenever I get the chance I push for having one in front of Holy Family Cathedral where the parking lot is.
That would be a good location.
In early 1998, when the diocese bought and demolished the Tulsa Apartments and Cathey's Furniture ("Eighth to Ninth on Main"), they told everyone that they intended to build a chancery (diocesan HQ) and to create a plaza on that block, and that it would not be surface parking. So your idea has been considered; it just hasn't been implemented.
Those were great buildings. Man, I wish we still had them in our downtown.
How did we allow them to be demolished?
Three corrections to be made. First, the Gallais Building is still at 4th and Boston. It was bought by Dr. Samuel Kennedy and had a duplicate addition on the Boston Avenue side. If you look over the entrance doors on the 4th Street side it still says "Gallais". Second, the Mc Birney Building also still exists at the corner of 3rd and Main Street. It was purchased in the sixties by Parker Drilling Company and had its ornamatation stripped off and replaced by square blocks at the cornice level. Third, the high school pictured was Tulsa High School which was located on Boston Avenue where the Atlas Life Building now sits. It was the forerunner of Central High School. If you look at a picture of Orcutt School you can see the differences in design. Also, yes you can barely see the Morningside Hospital building peeking out at you on Utica. If you go to the Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest you can actually see the ornate terra cotta of Morningside close up. It is a shame that Hillcrest chose to deface this jewel. At least we still have some of these buildings to appreciate!
you have the Pythian building listed as mcbirney....and it is still standing.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
you have the Pythian building listed as mcbirney....and it is still standing.
Actually I believe this is the Pythian building...
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4116/pythianbuildingnt2.jpg)
And yes, it is still standing, thought it has "lost" its main canopy.
quote:
Originally posted by breitee
Three corrections to be made. First, the Gallais Building is still at 4th and Boston. It was bought by Dr. Samuel Kennedy and had a duplicate addition on the Boston Avenue side. If you look over the entrance doors on the 4th Street side it still says "Gallais". Second, the Mc Birney Building also still exists at the corner of 3rd and Main Street. It was purchased in the sixties by Parker Drilling Company and had its ornamatation stripped off and replaced by square blocks at the cornice level. Third, the high school pictured was Tulsa High School which was located on Boston Avenue where the Atlas Life Building now sits. It was the forerunner of Central High School. If you look at a picture of Orcutt School you can see the differences in design. Also, yes you can barely see the Morningside Hospital building peeking out at you on Utica. If you go to the Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest you can actually see the ornate terra cotta of Morningside close up. It is a shame that Hillcrest chose to deface this jewel. At least we still have some of these buildings to appreciate!
Thank you for "finding" the Gallais building lol. Like I mentioned in my initial post, I was worried that I may include a building that had changed names. It is now called the Kennedy building, I do recognize that canopy now. I actually took a photo of it once.
Gallais building, now called the Kennedy building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8449/gallaisbuildingau2.jpg)
As for the Mc Birney building, they must have also stripped off the ornamentation on the top of the building for I dont remember ever seeing anything that ornate on top of any building downtown. But I will go check it out soon. Will be thrilled if its there.
Yes that is the "Tulsa High School" I just left off the Tulsa on everything, its implied.
New PR slogan to attract visitors:
"I am...surface parking lots."
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
I hope I have not added any buildings to this list that actually exist lol.
McBirney Building
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/384/mcbirneybldtulsaec0.jpg)
The decorative finials at the top of the McBirney Building have been removed and/or covered over, but the structure still exists at the southeast corner of Third and Main.
quote:
Schools
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6910/tulsaoklaschoolssizedsg7.jpg)
Owens School is still standing near First and Maybelle, just west of downtown.
quote:
Palace Clothiers
(http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7136/palaceclothiers2sy7.jpg)
World Publishing owns this one and has spared it from destruction for the time being. It's on the northwest corner of Fourth and Main. Arby's has a number of historic photos displayed in their restaurant on the ground floor.
^I thought the Owen's school looked familiar--that's right off the IDL, correct (northwest side)? Wasn't it recently in a BOA case for a Juvenile probation location? The BOA turned it down, so I don't know what the building is used for right now. Great building--anyone have some suggestion on how it could be used? Besides a surface lot, I mean.
Wow, I would like to have that for a house. Tulsa Now Headquarters perhaps? [:P] But I don't know, what would be a good idea for it that Tulsa could use? Too bad Tulsa Ballet has spent so much on the location they have now. This building looks just like what you would imagine a classic european ballet company and school as being in.
Owen School looks like the old portion of Irving School at the northwest corner of Admiral and Maybelle. On the existing building, the date over the door facing Admiral is 1909. I think is the same Owen School shown in the old photo, but I'm not 100% certain.
Thanks very much for the pictures. It is depressing to see how much has changed.
Wasn't there another thread about old Downtown pictures? I remember one had a picture with a lot of lights and downtown buildings (specific, I know). But I can't find the thread again.
Wish I could help you find it. I keep begging for a section where we can have photo threads. HINT HINT! [:D]
Here are a couple of neat photos I have found while nosing around. I would like to do a thread about interesting and historic thing in Tulsa that people can come back to and contribute to over time. Buuuut since we dont have an area specifically for photo threads..... it would probably get lost as well... SIGH[V]
It seems that most of my vision of the history of Tulsa was... it started with the Council Oak, there was that little main street with a few wooden buildings on it... then the oil boom happened in the 1920s and all those great skyscrapers and such were built. We know so much about that "Golden Age" of the oil boom years and what came before is pretty much a blank spot historically. But the more I look around I discover that there was a really interesting, thriving and unique city here before the 1920s.
For instance, did you know that Tulsa once had an Arch de Triumph?
(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/879/tulsa1919archofwelcomeacb0.jpg)
I think thats really neat. I had no idea such a thing had ever existed in Tulsa.
This is kind of neat. It made me laugh knowing that at least some things never change. Its a photo of an early street paving crew.
(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/5895/streetpavingcrew1909aoz0.jpg) Apparently its the same crew and equipment we got now.
Here is Tulsas first firewagon.
(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3651/firstfirewagonjy9.jpg)
Dear TheArtist,
Although owned by the Tulsa World, the continued existance of the Palace Clothiers building at 4th & Main, now called the Excaliber Building, had escaped our attention until now. I want to thank you for bringing this oversight to our attention. Bulldozers will be dispatched first thing Wednesday morning.
Sincerely,
Bobby Lorton
Tulsa World
quote:
Originally posted by AVERAGE JOE
Dear TheArtist,
Although owned by the Tulsa World, the continued existance of the Palace Clothiers building at 4th & Main, now called the Excaliber Building, had escaped our attention until now. I want to thank you for bringing this oversight to our attention. Bulldozers will be dispatched first thing Wednesday morning.
Sincerely,
Bobby Lorton
Tulsa World
Niiiiice lol. But are you sure? I dont remember seeing anything downtown that looks like that? Look at the pic right underneath with the parade. That architecture, stonework, the large canopy... I don't remember seeing that?
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
quote:
Originally posted by AVERAGE JOE
Dear TheArtist,
Although owned by the Tulsa World, the continued existance of the Palace Clothiers building at 4th & Main, now called the Excaliber Building, had escaped our attention until now. I want to thank you for bringing this oversight to our attention. Bulldozers will be dispatched first thing Wednesday morning.
Sincerely,
Bobby Lorton
Tulsa World
Niiiiice lol. But are you sure? I dont remember seeing anything downtown that looks like that? Look at the pic right underneath with the parade. That architecture, stonework, the large canopy... I don't remember seeing that?
It's been altered over the years and the building itself painted, but it's still standing.
Perhaps I should have an "Altered/butchered beyond recognition" category. [B)]
The Palace Clothiers building is easily recognized. It's on the northwest corner of 4th and Main as I posted on this topic last July.
Some nice photos of the Williams Center Forum.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezeiza/sets/72157603844917170/with/2240063455/ (//%22http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezeiza/sets/72157603844917170/with/2240063455/%22)
Great photos. But.... Thats one place I am glad is gone. I remember my parents taking me there when I was a kid and also going later as a young adult. I always remember thinking how depressing the place felt. It was stark, boring and cold. Horribly designed. Decent if you considered it as just an Ice Skating Rink, but as a shopping center or anything else... horrible.
quote:
Originally posted by NCTulsan
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
It's interesting that Tulsa never had a courthouse square. I wonder why not. The old courthouse was squeezed into one corner of the block.
Same goes for the old City Hall. At least we still have that building.
My Grandmother (rest her soul) was an elevator operator in that building.
Sweet memories.
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Great photos. But.... Thats one place I am glad is gone. I remember my parents taking me there when I was a kid and also going later as a young adult. I always remember thinking how depressing the place felt. It was stark, boring and cold. Horribly designed. Decent if you considered it as just an Ice Skating Rink, but as a shopping center or anything else... horrible.
Agreed. And the placement of the building interrupted the real potential to connect The Brady district right into downtown.
It's unfortunate demand for films went to the Metroplexes in suburbia. None of the ornate theatres downtown could have survived without nearby high density residences close by. After all, today there exits an abundance of seats compared to expendable income in our community.
Tulsa Megalomania. An article in this morning's paper (http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectID=46&articleID=20080301_238_E1_hFlin62838 ) about Flintco got me thinking. Archeticks are the major culprits in much of the demise of old Tulsa. While they've done obvious improvements at the cost of some preservation, I found it ironic Flintco were bragging about the Mid Continent Tower construction which brought down Reading and Bates.
The Brady was the likely Tulsa entertainment district. Mayor Savage did even more damage by putting the jail down there where the Ballpark or Areema would have been a better fit. But it was the ill-conceived mixed use Williams Tower that created a big transportation barrier that severed the downtown community.
In retrospect, putting the Williams Tower smack dab in the middle of the road was nothing more than irresponsible. No doubt there was no interest by Flintco at the time to try to urban plan along side of pulling out their crayolas.
And by the way, how many years is all that work taking in front of the Tower. It's ridiculous. One must wonder what kind of planning was going on 40 years ago and what kind of weak infrastructure got instituted.
While I agree that the BOK tower cut off downtown. I cant imagine Boston Ave without it there. I think it really makes that one street seem much more "impactful" and while on that one street you feel as though you are in a much larger city than Tulsa really is. Other things could have been, and still can be, done to connect both sides of downtown. IMO Pshychologically the BOK tower in that location, over all is a benefit to Tulsa. When I give someone the tour, I love taking them down Boston Ave. You have to admit, when you look out and see that canyon of skyscrapers on either side of you and the BOK tower rising at the end, its quite impressive.
Looks don't make it happen in downtown.
Everyone I know complains about the parking in that area.
Poorly thought out master plan for our downtown.
Reactionary implementation.
IMO, removing downtown Tulsa's two adjacent, parallel, and prime business streets was an enormous planning blunder. Note that the tower of Boston Avenue Methodist Church is visible from the street, but it doesn't block traffic flow. This could have been done with the Bank of Oklahoma tower as well. Boston could have been rebuilt between 1st and 3rd to bypass the BOk tower.
"I walk this empty street -- on the boulevard of broken dreams -- where the city sleeps, and I'm the only one, and I walk alone."
Owen School may have been in Owen Park? Irving is still standing and is owened by a nursing home owner and his sons and their concerns).
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
IMO, removing downtown Tulsa's two adjacent, parallel, and prime business streets was an enormous planning blunder. Note that the tower of Boston Avenue Methodist Church is visible from the street, but it doesn't block traffic flow. This could have been done with the Bank of Oklahoma tower as well. Boston could have been rebuilt between 1st and 3rd to bypass the BOk tower.
Agree.
quote:
Originally posted by ARGUS
Owen School may have been in Owen Park?
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6910/tulsaoklaschoolssizedsg7.jpg)
Owens Public School is still standing at the northwest corner of Admiral and Maybelle (//%22http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=q0s2xd6zztmb&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=16711576&encType=1%22), just west of downtown. Owens School became part of Irving School. It is shown as "Owens Public School" on the 1911 Sanborn Map of Tulsa. The same building is shown as "Irving School" on the 1915 Sanborn Map.
"I walk this empty street -- on the boulevard of broken dreams..."