Union Depot – That’s My World Tuesday

Tulsa Union Depot, another Tulsa Art Deco building, was completed in 1931 and served as Tulsa’s rail passenger terminal until 1967. It sat empty and deteriorating for years until it was converted to office space in the 1980’s. Last year another marked the completion of another conversion. It is now the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

The building has a lot of detailing. Below is my favorite. I couldn’t figure out what it was for a long time and then I realized that it was a winged wheel on a railroad. The design is repeated all around the building.

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12 thoughts on “Union Depot – That’s My World Tuesday

  1. Michelle

    We had a Volunteers of American fund raiser there last year. It is such a beautiful location. My husband is on the board of VOA. He is very into Tulsa architecture. We went to Rogers and has a fondness for Art Deco. 🙂

  2. GrandmaKathleen

    Interesting building and unique art deco architecture. Glad to see it is being used as a Jazz Hall of Fame. I hate to see buildings deteriorate and then get demolished.

  3. Janie

    I’m not sure I would have figured out the winged railroad wheel on my own, but you’re undoubtedly correct.
    Interesting photo and bit of history.

  4. Jeff Shaw

    I was raised in the shadow of this masterpiece in the late 60’s early 70’s when it was in its period of abandonment, before it was rescued by Williams. On our Saturday walks to the Central Library, and before our normal detour to Coney Island for a couple of 37 cent coneys, we used to have adventures in this building. It was often spooky because we would either scare the homeless people out of there, or they would scare us out.

    I used stand in that building in the great hall, and imagine what it would be like to catch a train there, or what is was to live in the era of trains. Always very romantic, in an innocent sort of way. My imagination always took me to the 1930’s and 40’s. Don’t know why.

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