The Art Deco, Boston Avenue United Methodist Church has an 8,000-member congregation that has met in the heart of Tulsa since 1893. The church covers a whole City Block in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The 1929 building now stands as one of the most significant examples of art deco architecture in the world, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places & a National Historic Landmark.
The Mother Road has passed through the center of Downtown Tulsa since 1926, so travellers could have seen the construction of this church between 1927 to completion in 1929.
The church has all the elements of Art Deco design, the celebration of the vertical, zigzags, abstract organic plants, the use of metals & glass with a wide range of natural stone, terra cotta, Indiana limestone and Minnesota granite can all be found, most noticeable at the top of the tower.
From the Church Web Site:
"The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma was completed in 1929. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical art deco architecture in the United States and has been designated by the Department of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places." Text Source: (
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Guided tours of the building are given every Sunday after the 11:00 worship service, beginning in the church library on the second floor. Guided tours can also be arranged during the week by calling the church office, 918.583.5181, or emailing Paula Gradney-Garner. Self-guided tours are also available any time the building is open, subject to room accessibility. Entry to the building is free, but donations are always welcome.
History of the Building from the Church Web Site:
"Architects were hired, then dismissed when their suggestions were less than inspiring. Finally, in desperation, the wife of Building Committee Chair C. C. Cole asked Miss Adah Robinson, a University of Tulsa art instructor, for her help. The sketch Robinson produced a few days later was a real shock to committee members, but her idea gradually caught on. The design was done in a new art deco style rather than the then-popular Gothic architecture, and included a round sanctuary and a slender 15-story tower. With the 1920's oil boom at its peak, church members were optimistic enough about the future to embrace both the new look and the $1,500,000 commitment. Robinson's design was approved, and Rush, Endacott, & Rush architectural firm was hired. A young man named Bruce Goff , one of Robinson's students and an employee of the firm, did the drafting and another former student, Robert Garrison, created the sculptures. Robinson supervised the project, working closely with church members and construction workers through the building's completion. Construction took over two years, and finally on June 9, 1929, church members moved into the twentieth-century art deco masterpiece that still houses the Boston Avenue congregation today." Text Source: (
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The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: (
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