Public Service of Oklahoma Building
600 South Main Street
Built: 1929
GPS
N 36 09.042
W 95 59.358
The Public Service of Oklahoma Building was an early Art Deco
construction in Tulsa. The selection of this style by a generally conservative
utility company established its acceptance and paved the way for the 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 building is constructed of reinforced concrete, with a steel structural
frame, and steel window frames covered by light grey Bedford limestone. The
company was also in the retail business in 1929, and the windows on the ground
floor are large enough to accommodate displays of merchandise. The stylized arch
design of these windows reflects the Gothic predecessor of Art Deco. One of the
most unusual features of the building is its beautiful nighttime illumination by
a series of strategically placed lights. The architect, Arthur M. Atkinson, who
was also a professional engineer, implemented this feature to showcase the
client’s product which, of course, was electricity. The torch shaped, light
fixtures are decorated with Art Deco motifs of chevrons and stepped-back
geometrical patterns. 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
