| White City Historic District | |
| Nrhp Type: | hd |
| Nocat: | yes |
| Location: | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Coordinates: | 36.1511°N -95.9175°W |
| Built: | 1926 - 1930; 1946 - 1951 |
| Architecture: | Tudor Revival (1920s); Minimal Traditional (1940s) |
| Added: | June 14, 2001 |
| Refnum: | 01000663 |
White City is a residential neighborhood in Midtown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is bounded on the north by 2nd Street, on the east by Fulton Avenue, on the south by 11th Street and on the west by Yale Avenue. The neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The area includes 480 buildings, of which 325 retain their historic significance. Two parks are also included in the listing.[1]
The property now covered by White City had been a part of the Creek Nation since the tribe had emigrated to Indian Territory. After the tribal property allocation, ownership of this piece of land passed to one individual member, Edward Crowell. Glenn T. Braden, founder of Oklahoma Natural Gas Company (now ONE Gas), bought a large part of the tract from Crowell in 1912. Braden built the White City Jersey Dairy Farm on the tract and imported a herd of Jersey cattle.[2] The farm's name refers to the color of barns and silos that Braden built there.[3]
After Braden died in 1923, his children closed the dairy, platted the land and began selling lots for the construction of houses. Development of White City subdivision began in 1926. The development included a park named White City Park, but the name was changed later to Braden Park. During the first stage of development (1926 -1930), the lots were about 1acres. The majority of the houses were built in the Tudor Revival style.[3] Construction declined during the Great Depression and World War II. In 1946, homebuilding resumed and that became the year of greatest home sales in White City. Houses constructed during this second phase were predominantly Minimal Traditional style.[3] Construction continued until the early 1950s, when the available lots were fully occupied.
According to a 1999 survey prepared by Audley, the neighborhood contained 570 buildings. Of these, 442 (77.5%) were assessed as contributing structures. The other 128 buildings were assessed as non-contributing either because they had been significantly altered in appearance or because they did not meet the age requirement.[4]