National Register Record for BOLEY HISTORIC DISTRICT

Historic Name: BOLEY HISTORIC DISTRICT
Current Name: SAME
Address: ROUGHTLY BOUNDED BY SEWARD AVENUE, WALNUT, CEDAR, AND THE SOUTHERN CITY LIMITS
City: BOLEY            County: OKFUSKEE
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: BOLEY IS AN ALL BLACK TOWN FOUNDED IN 1903 BY AFRICAN AMERICAN RAILROAD WORKERS. IT WAS ADVERTISED AS A HAVEN FROM BLACK OPPRESSION. BLACK PEOPLE FROM GEORGIA, TEXAS, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA BEGAN MOVING INTO THE AREA AND ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1904, A FORMAL OPENING OF THE TOWN WAS HELD. BY 1911, THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT OF BOLEY INCLUDED A BANK, MULTIPLE GROCERY STORES, FIVE HOTELS, SEVEN RESTAURANT, FOUR COTTON GINS, THREE DRUG STORE,S A JEWELRY STORE, FOUR DEPARTMENT STORES, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER BUSINESS. THE POPULATION WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 4,000. THE TOWN HAD ITS OWN ELECTRICAL PLANT AND ITS CITIZENS PROSPERED. THIS DID NOT LAST. CROP FAILURES IN THE 1920S AND THE DEPRESSION IN THE 1930S HALTED THE GROWTH OF THE COMMUNITY AND MANY OF ITS RESIDENTS LEFT FOR NEARBY CITIES, NEVER TO RETURN. THE FOURTEEN BUILDINGS INCLUDED IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT WERE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1903 AND 1921 AND ARE ALL THAT REMAIN OF THE ORIGINAL BOLEY BUSINESS DISTRICT. NOTABLE BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT INCLUDE THE FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK BUILDING, A SINGLE-STORY BRICK BUILDING WITH LIMESTONE TRIM, AND THE OLIVER BUILDING, A 1910 BUILDING CONSTRUCTED OF NATIVE STONE. LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER, 5/15/1975. NHL DESIGNATED 5/15/1975.

Type: DISTRICT
Historic Function: None
Current Function: COMMERCE/TRADE; GOVERNMENT; DOMESTIC: SINGLE DWELLING; RELIGIOUS: RELIGIOUS FACILITY: CHURCH
Area of Significance 1: ARCHITECTURE
Area of Significance 2: ETHNIC HERITAGE - BLACK
Architectural Style: UNCOLLECTED
Architect: W.L. JONES
Year Built: 1929            Original Site: YES
Condition: POOR
Restricted: N
Documentation Source: COMMERCIAL CLUB OF BOLEY, FACTS ABOUT BOLEY, OKLAHOMA, 1911; MOZELL HILL, "THE ALL-NEGRO COMMUNITIES OF OKLAHOMA", JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY, VOL.31, 7/1946; R.EDGAR ILES, "BOLEY", OPPORTUNITY, VOL. 3, P.231-235, 1925;
Date Prepared: 9/24/1974