© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

100 Block Of North Greenwood Added To National Register Of Historic Places

Courtesy Greenwood Chamber of Commerce

The 100 block of North Greenwood Avenue has been added to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.

"This district, also known as 'Black Wall Street,' was the economic, cultural and professional center for Tulsa’s African American community," the Oklahoma Historical Society's State Historic Preservation Office said in a news release. "Shops, restaurants, offices and other Black-owned and operated enterprises offered essential services and employment. Likewise, the consumption of goods and entertainment within the district attained cultural significance among African Americans and the city of Tulsa as a whole. The 100 Block of North Greenwood Avenue helped provide a foundation for African American community building through the mid-twentieth century. It remains an important symbol of African American identity, cultural innovation and free enterprise."

Gary Breeckner, vice president of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, said he was pleased that the block finally got the designation after years of failed attempts, and hoped it would help ensure future generations learn not just about the 1921 destruction of the district but also of its successful rebirth.

"Your dreams and visions can't be stolen, even through murder," Breeckner said. "You can come back and rearouse those dreams and visions to make it reality, and that's why we wanted the buildings to be on the register, so that that would be told to the generations to come."

The state historical society notes that "listing in the National Register is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties," but Breeckner said the chamber was not driven by financial motivations.

"We didn't do it for the dollar amounts," Breeckner said. "We wanted to leave a legacy for our children's children."

Chris joined Public Radio Tulsa as a news anchor and reporter in April 2020. He’s a graduate of Hunter College and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, both at the City University of New York.
Related Content