National Register Record for HOLLAND HALL UPPER SCHOOL

Historic Name: HOLLAND HALL UPPER SCHOOL
Current Name: SAME
Address: 5666 EAST 81ST STREET
City: TULSA            County: TULSA
Section: 15           Township: 18N           Range: 13E          
Description of significance: THE HOLLAND HALL UPPER SCHOOL (1970) IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, IS LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION C IN THE AREA OF ARCHITECTURE AS A REPRESENTATION OF THE LATE CAREER WORK OF ARCHITECT O’NEIL FORD (1905-1982). BASED IN TEXAS, FORD CREATED ARCHITECTURE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE LANDSCAPE IN WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED, AND ALTHOUGH MOST OF HIS WORK WAS IN TEXAS, FORD PROJECTS CAN BE FOUND IN NEW YORK, ILLINOIS, COLORADO, WYOMING, FLORIDA, AND OKLAHOMA. THE HOLLAND HALL UPPER SCHOOL IS ONE OF THREE PROJECTS FORD DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED IN OKLAHOMA. ALL THREE PROJECTS WERE IN TULSA, INCLUDING TWO RESIDENCES; THE SCHOOL WAS HIS FINAL PROJECT IN THE STATE. FORD DESIGNED THE HOLLAND HALL UPPER SCHOOL, BEGINNING IN 1967, TWO YEARS AFTER PARTNERING WITH TWO ASSOCIATES TO CREATE THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM FORD, POWELL & CARSON. HOLLAND HALL WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1922 AS AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL. THE CAMPUS ON EAST 81ST STREET IS THE FIFTH AND LARGEST ITERATION OF THE SCHOOL. BETWEEN 1970 AND 1981, THE HOLLAND HALL SLOWLY RELOCATED FROM ITS BIRMINGHAM PLACE CAMPUS JUST SOUTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN TO THE EAST 81ST STREET LOCATION. BUILT IN 1970, THE UPPER SCHOOL WAS THE FIRST COMPLEX ON THE NEW SITE. IN 1976, THE PRIMARY SCHOOL OPENED, AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OPENED IN 1981. FORD, POWELL & CARSON DESIGNED THE ENTIRE CAMPUS; HOWEVER, FORD WAS MOST DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN OF THE UPPER SCHOOL ACADEMIC BUILDING AND GYMNASIUM BUILDING, THE TWO CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS. DUE TO THE CONNECTION TO FORD, THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE UPPER SCHOOL INCLUDES THE YEAR THESE TWO BUILDINGS OPENED, 1970. LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ON JUNE 8, 2021.

Type: DISTRICT
Historic Function: EDUCATION: SCHOOL; RECREATION: SPORTS FACILITY; RELIGION: RELIGIOUS FACILITY; LANDSCAPE: PARKING LOT
Current Function: EDUCATION: SCHOOL; RECREATION: SPORTS FACILITY; RELIGION: RELIGIOUS FACILITY; LANDSCAPE: PARKING LOT
Area of Significance 1: ARCHITECTURE
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: AMERICAN REGIONALISM
Architect: ARCHITECT: O'NEIL FORD (FORD, POWELL & CARSON); ARCHITECT: HORACE GREELEY (H.G.) BERNARD JR.; BUILDER: TULSA, RIG, REEL & MANUFACTURING CO.
Year Built: 1970            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD-EXCELLENT
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: MAY 2020