320 South Boston Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 320 South Boston Building |
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320 South Boston Building, Tulsa, OK
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| Former names | Exchange National Bank Building |
| Alternative names | National Bank of Tulsa Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Address | 320 South Boston |
| Town or city | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Country | USA |
| Construction started | 1916 |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Height | 400 feet |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 22 |
| Floor area | 396,822 sq ft (36,866.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Oscar Wenderoth; Weary & Alford Company |
The 320 South Boston Building is a tall building in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has 22 stories. It was first built in 1917 for the Exchange National Bank. Later, in 1929, it was made much taller.
When it was finished, the building was 400 feet (122 meters) high. This made it the tallest building in Oklahoma for a short time. It is now part of the Oil Capital Historic District.
Building Design and History
The building is on the west side of Boston Avenue. It stretches a whole city block between Third and Fourth Streets. The building has a special style called Beaux Arts. It was designed by Oscar Wenderoth and the Weary & Alford Company.
The outside of the building is made of brick with terra cotta decorations. The bottom two floors are completely covered in terra cotta. The main part of the building gets narrower at the 20th floor. It has a two-story section with arches, and a temple-like top. A small dome, called a cupola, sits at the very top.
For many years, the cupola had cool floodlights. These lights changed color to show the weather forecast. Green lights meant good weather was coming. Red lights meant a storm was on its way.
Name Changes Over Time
In 1933, the Exchange National Bank changed its name. It became the National Bank of Tulsa. So, the building was then known as the National Bank of Tulsa Building. People often called it the NBT Building.
Later, the bank changed its name again to Bank of Oklahoma (BOK). In 1977, BOK moved to a new building called the BOK Tower. After that, the NBT Building went back to its original name: 320 South Boston Building. It became an office building for different companies. One of the companies there is Hall Estill, a large law firm in Oklahoma.
Television and Urban Myths
In 1949, a TV station called KOTV put its first transmitter on top of the building. KOTV broadcast from the building until 1954. That's when they built a taller tower somewhere else.
There's a popular story about the top of the 320 South Boston Building. Many people thought the tower was built to be a place where Zeppelin airships could tie up. The story even said that a U.S. Navy Zeppelin actually tied there in the 1930s. However, this is just a myth and not true.
The architect George Winkler also designed the Mayo Hotel.
See also
In Spanish: 320 South Boston Building para niños
