Districts in the National Register of Historic Places
Gillette Historic District
Significance
The Gillette District, as a neighborhood, is significant to Tulsa because of its history, wide variety of architectural styles, use of building materials and home sizes. The other neighborhoods that developed at the same time as this district are of more uniform architectural styles and sizes. This sets the Gillette Historic District apart from the others and makes it worthy of National Register recognition.
The Gillette Historic District is a potpourri of architectural styles which includes English Cottage, Southern Colonial, Federal, Dutch Colonial, Cape Cod, Bungalow, Art Deco, and Jacobean/Tudor. The district was developed with the larger buildings on Yorktown Place for executives, and the area on South Gillette Avenue for middle management. The first Tulsa Society Register listed one-third of the area residents. This area was one of Tulsa’s early commuter communities. In 1927, the area was annexed to the City of Tulsa. The neighborhood has retained much of its original fabric and character through the efforts of an active neighborhood association. Only minor alterations have been made to these homes, and all changes have been architecturally compatible.
The Tulsa Historic Preservation Office surveyed the area in 1978. In June of 1978, a review committee of national, state, and local preservation experts determined that the Gillette District met the U. S. Department of Interior’s criteria for Historic Preservation District designation. The Gillette Historic District was named to the Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory on January 18, 1979. The community decided to protect the historical integrity of their neighborhood even further by unanimously voting to place it under “Historic Preservation Zoning.” This zoning application was the first in the City of Tulsa and prevents improper infilling, demolition, or rehabilitation within the district.