Most Tulsans are familiar with Lortondale . The unique modern abodes along Yale Avenue have been turning heads ever since they were built in the mid Fifties. But did you know these aren't the only flaptops in town? A little-known neighborhood in North Tulsa called Lake View is also primarily comprised of homes with that low and minimalist look of Lortondale. I don't know who designed or built these homes- but they certainly are similar in size and style. Built in the late Fifties and early Sixties, the suburban development on Delaware Avenue near Mohawk Boulevard hoped to capitalize on its proximity to Mohawk Park and Lake Yahola. That's the lake that is within view in case you were wondering. However, by the Seventies this area was suffering from the mass exodus to the suburbs. Tulsa, like most American cities at the time, saw a huge migration away from urban centers. This impacted North Tulsa especially hard. The area went into decline, much like Lortondale did du
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