Districts in the National Register of Historic Places
Riverview Historic District
Significance
The Riverview Historic District is architecturally significant as an excellent representation of popular domestic architectural styles built in Tulsa between 1911 and 1938. The dominant architectural style in the district is the Bungalow/Craftsman style. With just over half the number of buildings as the Bungalow/Craftsman style, the Tudor Revival style was the second most preferred style within the district. Although having fewer examples, the Prairie School and Colonial Revival styles were present in the area in notable numbers as well. Predominantly a single family, middle class neighborhood, the Riverview Historic District includes several outstanding examples of dwellings constructed for the upper class. Additionally, the area contains several historic, multiple family dwellings that enhance the overall architectural significance of the district by representing a related type of property that gained in popularity in Tulsa during the latter part of the period of significance.
Overwhelmingly populated by modest, Bungalow/Craftsman and Tudor Revival homes, the Riverview Historic District was for the most part a typical, middle class, Tulsa neighborhood. Highlighting the area, however, are several unique buildings. Topping the list of notable houses in the district is the McBirney Mansion, addressed as 1414 South Galveston Avenue West. The large, splendid Tudor Revival style home with servants quarters was prominently located on the majority of a block that remained undeveloped. In the front yard of the house built between 1927 and 1928, were several springs which reportedly were used by Washington Irving when he toured this section of the United States in the nineteenth century. The house, designed by the Kansas City architect John Long, is an outstanding, opulent example of the Tudor Revival style, a fact which was recognized in 1976 when the building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was additionally recognized for its association with James H. McBirney, a leading businessman in Tulsa during the first half of the twentieth century.
Although not as grand, the Bird House located at 1411 South Galveston West is a fine example of a brick, Colonial Revival style house in the district. This home was built for Caroline Bird by her brother, James H. McBirney, in about 1924 and is located just to the northeast of the McBirney Mansion. A more austere example of the Colonial Revival style in the neighborhood is the Clinton-Hardy House at 1322 South Guthrie Avenue West. This originally weatherboard, Adamesque example of the style was designed by George Winkler and erected in 1919 for Lee Clinton. Notably, the presence of the Clinton House attracted much attention to the newly platted Childers Heights Addition. Previously, Tulsa’s upper class tended to construct their commodious dwellings on the north side of downtown or to the near southeast.
The construction of the Clinton-Hardy House in the Riverview area was not a completely altruistic move on Clinton’s part. Clinton, along with Daniel Horsley and Norvell E. Woodson, were designated by Nola Childers Tracy in early January 1918 as agents for development of her land inherited from her father that was part of his Creek allotment. Described as an Osage Princess and “…one of the wealthiest Indian girls in Oklahoma…,” Nola Childers’ mother was Osage and her father was Creek. Born in about 1899, Childers was orphaned in 1914 and married Forrest R. Tracy in June of 1917. Clinton and Horsley were named as Childers guardians in 1914, as well as the guardians of her father’s estate. In addition to her “…Osage estate…,” Childers “…inherited from her father 160 acres of land now surrounded by the city of Tulsa.” The additions formed from this land became the Childers Heights and Norvell Park additions to the city of Tulsa. As her agents, Clinton and Horsley shared in the ten percent net commission of the gross amount generated by the sale of lots in these additions. According to court records, between January 1918 and September 1918, the total gross amounted to about $100,000.
Featuring an architectural style that gained popularity during the latter part of the 1920s are the six apartment buildings located off of Riverside Drive. Built in the early 1930s, these coordinating Tudor Revival style apartment buildings were originally named, in order from east to west, Hemphurst Terrace, Hemphurst Manor, Hemphurst Lodge, Hemphurst Castle, Hemphurst Arms and Hemphurst Hall. These buildings are striking examples of the Tudor Revival style as applied to multiple dwellings. The buildings are not identical but share many similar features and an overall design. The proposed construction of these buildings was directly related to the filing of the June 1930 Cardiff Re-Subdivision of Blocks 11 and 12 of Norvell Park. The newly created lots along the south side of the district were ideal to contain one of these buildings. The change in the lots also allowed for the buildings to front onto Riverside Drive. With an uninterrupted view of the Arkansas River, this was a picturesque location for development of speculative housing.
Several streets in the district have had their names changed. The pre-statehood T.T.T. Addition planned for West 13th Street to be called Sycamore Street. Both the Campbell and Childers Heights additions intended for West 14th Place to be called Walnut Street. The Childers Heights and Norvell Park plats were originally divided by Norvell Road. In 1920, Norvell Road became Childers Avenue and, in 1925, Houston Avenue. Directly related to this, the original Houston Avenue, situated one street to the west between Norvell Road and Jackson Avenue, was renamed Indian Avenue in 1925. As included on the 1918 and 1920 plats, Riverside Drive was simply called Boulevard. By 1925, the existing name had been applied to the street.