Skip to main content

Roadside Moderne

Interstate Teepees in OklahomaI see a lot of modern-looking structures along the highway.

There's probably a higher concentration of unique designs out on the road because of the desire to catch your attention as you whiz past. Some of the most interesting roadside attractions are also the most mundane.

Consider the lowly highway rest stop. Many of our state's rest areas don't even offer travelers a rest room. But a few rest stops found along Oklahoma interstates feature picnic tables under stylized tepees. I've always admired this clean and simple form made of nothing more than three sticks and a circle.

Another mid-century solution to shelter stylish picnickers was concrete. Lots of concrete. I spotted a good example of structural concrete shelters at a city park in Enid. These umbrella-like canopies, and their single support, are made completely of concrete.
Concrete Shelters in Enid

Public works projects are quite often accessorized with the latest look. This simple little shelter overlooks Broken Bow Lake and appears to serve as nothing more than a bulletin board holder. But a pleasant one none the less.
Broken Bow Dam Overlook

State lodges are also a place of pride. The Fifties and Sixties were the height of state lodges in Oklahoma, and Western Hills Lodge at Sequoyah State Park near Wagoner is one of the finer examples. The combination of sandstone and redwood is the epitome of mid-century style, and the tomahawk-shape sign echoes the western theme.


I could go on for hours. These are just a few images. There are many more examples waiting to be discovered on your next roadside adventure.

Comments

Rev.Ted said…
Hello,

I would love to know where this rest area is at of the teepee's in Oklahoma what turnpike so I can go vist it. I have a speical project and this would be a great place for it. if you would please email me the location my email is [email protected]

Thanks God Bless
Rev.Ted
JRB said…
Hi Ted, welcome.

I have actually visited a couple of these. One is along I-40 between Sallisaw and the Muskogee Turnpike, and the other group is on I-35 north of Oklahoma City (maybe near Perry?).

Hope that helps. Good luck with your project!
Anonymous said…
The shelter at Woodward park in Tulsa is a great example.

The Recent Past

Oklahoma State Capitol Bank

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 2 "This is a bank," the sign outside the futuristic building read. According to legend a prankster added a strategic question mark and echoed the sentiment of many passers-by: "This is a bank?" That was back in 1964 when it opened. Today the Arvest on Lincoln Boulevard looks a bit less Jetsonian, mostly due to replacement of structural glass below the "saucers," but it's still an unusual bank. Designed by Robert Roloff of the architectural firm Bailey, Bozalis, Dickinson & Roloff, the State Capitol Bank caused quite a stir in Oklahoma City when it opened. Heck, it's still pretty shocking today! Originally the flying saucers appeared to hover above the building (as seen in this vintage postcard). All the glass that made that effect possible also made heating and cooling an expensive proposition. Security concerns also mandated replacement of those windows with solid materials and small square portholes

Visit to the Prairie Chicken House

This unique house on the edge of Norman, Oklahoma is known to most as the prairie chicken house. Designed by Herb Greene in 1960, he preferred to call it simply the Prairie House .  Thanks to the  Prairie House Preservation Society  (PHPS) it is now possible for the public to experience one of Oklahoma's most unusual architectural treasures. 

The Bruce Goff House in Vinita

We were recently surprised to learn about a Goff-designed home just an hour away from Tulsa in Vinita, Oklahoma. Vinita is probably best known to OK Mod readers as the home of the Glass House on I-44, also known as (shudder) the World's Largest Largest McDonalds . Anywho, turned out the Goff house was on the market, and the owner was more than happy to let us have a look around. We took a short drive up the turnpike one Sunday afternoon to meet the realtor, snap some pictures, ask some questions and enjoy another one of Bruce Goff's unique creations. The home is known as the Adams House and was built in 1961. The 3,700 square foot home is arranged in a circular floor plan with a large sunken "conversation pit" at the center. Rising up from this pit is a large metal fireplace, its chimney surrounded by skylights, which dominates the entire house. Rooms surround the perimeter with folding accordion doors acting as walls. To maintain some semblance of privacy an inner