Oklahoma Natural Gas Building
624 South Boston Avenue
Built: 1928
GPS
N 36 08.985
W 65 59.260
the address
The Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Building was one of the first
Art Deco buildings built in Tulsa. The selection of this style by a generally
conservative utility company established its acceptance and paved the way for a
host of Art Deco buildings which were to follow. This building is also
significant historically because it reflects the tremendous growth of Tulsa from
1920 to 1930. By 1927, construction costs in downtown Tulsa were averaging one
million dollars a month. By 1930, Tulsa had more buildings of ten or more
stories than any city of its size in the world.
The Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Building is constructed of reinforced concrete,
enclosed with buff tapestry brick and trimmed with Indiana limestone and
vitreous tile. The height of its ten stories is enhanced by the piers which rise
unbroken to the top of the building. The windows are inset between the piers and
spandrels that are covered with decorative tile whose motifs include the
stepped-in chevron and geometrical shapes of Art Deco design. The richness of
materials and designs in the interior of the building are a significant feature
of the Zig-Zag Art Deco style and contrast with the austerity of the later
Streamline and Public Works Administration periods of Art Deco. The building
continues to be a viable part of downtown Tulsa and provides a visible and
tangible link to an important period in its past.
the short description was prepared by the Tulsa Preservation Commission
