PRESERVATION
EDUCATION
BY ANDREA LEITCH
IN A QUIET TUNNEL on the lower level of
the Kennedy Building at 321 S. Boston Ave.
rests Tulsa’s extensive and preserved architectural history.
Here, the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture
(TFA) maintains more than 35,000 architectural drawings, many of them originals, from
as early as 1905, as well as a library of 200
bound architecture periodicals that date
back to 1920.
Since 1995, TFA has preserved Tulsa’s rich
architectural history by reaching out into
the community. The nonprofit organization
engages the public through educational bus
and walking tours that highlight historic
neighborhoods, downtown and Route 66,
to name a few. Tours showcase residential,
commercial and institutional architecture,
including Gothic, art deco and international
styles.
As the executive director of TFA, Lee Anne
Zeigler says educating Tulsans through
tours and books, such as TFA’s publication, Tulsa Art Deco, are good preservation
strategies because they add to the overall
understanding and appreciation for Tulsa’s
history and the architectural significance of
historic buildings in our community.
“Tulsans are more willing to fight to keep
historic structures in use because they
understand that this gives us our ‘sense of
place,’” she says. “They tell a great story,
bring back memories for many and are
authentic representations of Tulsa. That
authenticity is what brings people to Tulsa
from other places.”
Besides educating the community about
Tulsa’s architectural history, TFA collaborates with other local groups to save and
find adaptive reuses for endangered buildings.
TFA’s successful preservation efforts have
included collaborations with the Eastern
Oklahoma Chapter of the American Institute
of Architects, the Circle Cinema Foundation,
the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, the
Oklahoma Route 66 Association and the
City of Tulsa Planning and Public Works
Departments.
Buildings such as the Warehouse Market,
Circle Cinema and, most recently, the
Meadow Gold sign have been added to the
preserved list.
In 2004, TFA was instrumental in rescuing
Amanda
DeCort, city
preservation
planner.
Photo courtesy of Tulsa Preservation Commission.
The Warehouse Market Building is one
structure the TFA has helped preserve.
the landmark Meadow Gold sign from potentially going to a landfill. Thanks to a grant
from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation
Program, successfully petitioning for Vision
2025 funding and grassroots efforts, TFA
acquired the support to restore and resurrect the sign.
Formerly located at East 11th Street and
South Lewis Avenue, the sign will remain
on Route 66 when it’s placed on a structure
that replicates the scale of the original building less than a mile from its original location
at the end of this year.
“It shows what can be done in a seemingly
hopeless situation,” Zeigler says. ”From the
efforts of so many, it became a victory.”
While downtown Tulsa continues to
expand with new buildings such as the BOK
Center and One Technology Center (built in
2001), which are situated around historic
structures such as the Kennedy Building,
Zeigler says TFA will continue to inform
Tulsans about the importance of preserving
the city’s authentic architecture.
“We are all about the quality-built environment — whether the building is brand new
like the BOK Center or built before statehood and everything in between,” she says.
“We care about the character, authenticity, use and integrity of the buildings that
give us our unique sense of place — those
sites and structures that tell our individual
story.”
This Place
Matters
Is there a special place that
has made an impact on
you? Why is it important,
and why do you want it
preserved? You can make
your voice heard by joining
the “This Place Matters”
campaign sponsored by the
National Trust for Historic
Preservation. Those interested can submit a photograph
with a “This Place Matters”
sign in front of their special
place. Doing so will help
spread the word that these
places and sites are important, and help make cities
what they are.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Tulsa Foundation
for Architecture is the local partner of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation and
is the Principal Planning Partner for the 2008
National Preservation Conference in Tulsa.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
1. Download and print the
“This Place Matters” sign
at www.preservationna-tion.org/thisplacematters.
2. Take a picture of you and
your Place That Matters.
3. Write your story and
upload your photo at the
Web site.
4. Tell your friends. Share
this information with
others and help them be
aware of special places
that matter.
For more information about
the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, call 1-800-315-6847
or 202-588-6000 or visit
www.PreservationNation.org.
