Conferences

"North Tulsa: Greenwood and Beyond" is an important and interesting tour that explores both the African American and Native American experience in North Tulsa...and how the public institutions established by those communities continue to serve even today.

Begin your tour in the Greenwood Cultural Center and learn about the 1921 race riots which began with a seemingly harmless accident and ended with the destruction of 32 square blocks and over 600 businesses owned, operated, managed and patronized by an affluent African American Community. This piece of Tulsa's history has been long neglected and many of the event specifics is unknown by many local residents even today.

After you visit the many important cultural landmarks of North Tulsa (Black Wall Street, The GAP area, The Mabel House, The Kennedy Mansion, Owen Park...to name a few) you will have the pleasure of ending this session at the Gilcrease Museum, a must-see stop for anyone visiting the city of Tulsa. Learn about the Native American experience in Oklahoma and explore its impressive collection of fine art from "the Americas".

Prior to 1921 the mixed ethnic community of North Tulsa was uniquely left to progress on its own. The residents built a community with retail, commerce, governement, education....all that a thriving community needs to survive. However, beginning with the debilitating blow of the 1921 race riots and continuing with the urban redevelopment of more recent years, the North Tulsa neighborhood continues on its journey of both suffering and survival.

• More Posts (4)

Don’t miss this opportunity to discover the delightful works of Charles Stevens Dilbeck. Led by John Brooks Walton, a local architect, artist, and author, we traveled through a number of Tulsa’s residential neighborhoods. It seems as though Tulsa is peppered with the cozy, playful works of Dilbeck. By the end of the day I was pointing out homes I thought were “Dilbecks” in the hopes of being let into this fan club.

Dilbeck moved to Tulsa as a child and some would say the he was a child prodigy of the architectural kind. By the age of 10 he was assisting his father by drafting plans for building projects. Incredibly by 11 Dilbeck had designed the Baptist Church and supervised its building. By the age of 15 Dilbeck was hired by a local lumber yard where he drew plans and made alterations to client’s projects and at 16 he was recruited by a competitor to head the architectural department. Already quite established (this is where I kind of started having a complex!)

Dilbeck decided to study architecture and attended Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma State University). After 2 years he dropped out to start his own practice. Who can blame him? It seems as though he was already on a brilliant path. During the next three or fours years Dilbeck was busy designing homes for some of Tulsa’s wealthiest. The crash of ’29 impacted his business here in Tulsa, so Dilbeck moved on to Dallas where he spent the remainder of his career.

John has great stories and anecdotes to share about Dilbeck and his works. Be sure to ask about the “tented house” and the "free" crinkle brick. I will let you in on a little secret – John lives in a Dilbeck and is graciously opening it up for this session. So be sure you sign up for this session. By the end I am sure that you will have picked a favorite one, or two, or maybe three… I have!

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

• More Posts (881)

Think pink. At least, think pink long enough to bike Tulsa. Tulsa has a public bike sharing program (and the bikes are pink) - just swipe your credit card and take a bike and you've got a full 24 hours to explore the city. Of course, you won't have to mess around with the credit card part of it when you bike with the Trust - the Parks department will bring us the bikes, but you'll see how it works at the starting point. Once there, the path follows the river, then veers off into town and into some wonderful residential neighborhoods. Amanda, your cruise director, tells stories and history of the different areas you'll encounter - Maple Ridge, Tracy Park, Riverside, Carson Park, Downtown. For the most part the trail is flat, there are one or two slight hills, but nothing difficult. All in all, a really nice overview of the city with some behind-the-scenes house gossip, AND you burn some calories to assuage any guilt from chicken fried steak or what have you.

Click here to see all my photos from the trip, and be sure to register and choose this session soon - there are only two opportunities to Bike Tulsa, and the bike tours always fill up early.

• More Posts (10)

Looking at downtown Tulsa today, you might liken her to someone preparing to go out on a first date. She's all in a frenzy getting her sidewalks ready, smoothing her roads, and just doing about everything she can to make herself look all pretty before meeting her significant other....the BOK arena. September 1 is the date of this romantic interlude when the first game of the season is played and the city plays host to thousands of adoring fans.

However, if you want to remember what Tulsa looked like when she was just a young lass, take the Downtown Walking Tour and admire many parts of her youth. The walking tour is an approximately two and a half mile brisk walk around the downtown area, going in and out of some of Tulsa's most significant buildings. These structures not only let you peek at what she looked like in her glory days...but also gives you clues as to what this city plans to look like when she's all grown up.

But don't go just by her pretty new looks. Tulsa's beauty lies more than skin deep. Come on this tour and find out all that Tulsa has to offer.

• More Posts (4)

After a wicked rain storm that blew in from the prairie and thinking that maybe just maybe I should pull off the road until I could see, I finally made it out to Ponca City yesterday morning. Once I turned off the turnpike, I ended up on a country road driving through bucolic farmland with the occasional oil derrick pumping lazily in the distance.

Along the way, just before heading into Ponca City I passed what I think is the coolest barn I have ever laid eyes on, but I digress, which when you come to Oklahoma you will see is easy to do. 

Route 177 magically turned into Grand Avenue, taking me right into the heart of downtown Ponca City. Brett Carter and David Keathly are the field session managers and are local preservationists extraordinaire. David has the added distinction of being the Executive Director of the Marland Mansion. Ponca City pulls you in as you drive down Grand Avenue. As the name reveals there are some rather grand homes leading into town along Grand Avenue. Our first stop was City Hall, a Spanish Mission revival building which is still used as City Hall. The art deco high school sits adjacent to City Hall with the library across the street. Brett and David will share the stories about the clear public commitment to preserve public buildings in Ponca City. Grand Avenue serves as Ponca City’s Main Street and is dotted with businesses, restaurants and the Poncan Theater. A gem on the prairie, the Poncan Theater houses one of the largest collections of hand painted lobby art in the country, some of which is featured throughout the theater. The Poncan Theater operates as a cinema, theater and a local church. 

Settled during the Land Run of 1889, Ponca City is definitely a pioneer city. The history and planning of the city are really fascinating and I will elaborate in a later blog about how this city came to be. There is a lot to take in along the way, how Ponca City was established, the neighborhoods Marland was instrumental in creating, the polo fields, lakes, golf course, and of course the stories, from the Native Americans to the oilmen. I will be back with the stories, the intrigue, and that famous mansion. You have heard of the Vanderbilts, the Hearsts, the Rockefellers, and the Kennedys, well prepare yourself for the Marlands. It is better than a "telenovela".

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

• More Posts (881)