Adams Hotel
A wonderful example of art deco in Tulsa
GPS
N 36 09.084
W 95 59.566
The Adams Hotel is located on a lot in the heart of the Central Business
District of Tulsa. Built by I. S. Mincks to capitalize on the 1928 International
Petroleum Exposition, the building has thirteen floors, with a full basement and
penthouse. A 1935 liquidation sale gave it new owners and a new name: the Adams
Hotel.
The Adams facade is widely recognized as an excellent example of glazed
terra-cotta veneering. Produced by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company, the
terra cotta pastel blues and reds are still quite noticeable, and the individual
tile units are sound, with tight mortar joints. The architectural style of the
facade is eclectic, in the mood of the 1893 to 1917 period when architects felt
free to use any and all decorative motifs as they saw fit. Its highly ornate
facade is an imaginative combination of Gothic, Italian Renaissance, and Baroque
decorations. Terra cotta is also used extensively in the interior of the
building in the lobby, coffee shop, and stairwell.
The hotel was listed in the National Register on November 7, 1978, under
National Register Criterion C, and its NRIS number is 78002273.
