GSA’s 100 Year Old Federal Building and U.S Courthouse Gets Historic Recognition

August 30, 2021

 

Some of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) owned properties are over 100 years old. One in particular is the historic Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Originally built in 1915, the property has served the Tulsa community since World War I.  Thanks to GSA’s mission to provide safe, reliable, productive and sustainable facilities, it remains an economically viable historic facility that supports local taxpayers to this day.  

Historic buildings are gems within the GSA’s inventory of federal buildings, federal courthouses and land ports of entry.  As the federal government’s landlord, we are responsible for the operation and maintenance of these properties as well as preserving the rich history of these assets.  The National Historic Preservation Act sets the federal policy for preserving these properties and establishes federal-state and federal-tribal partnerships to support its efforts.

While we don’t seek acknowledgement for the work we do at GSA, we are honored when it’s received.  And that was the case with the recent Certificate of Merit [JPG - 273 KB] received from the Oklahoma Historical Society for recently completed renovations at the facility.  In fact, we don’t even know who nominated us for the award!

“The Tulsa Federal Building was awarded the Citation of Merit for the detail and care that was applied to the cleaning of the building, the repair of the historic limestone panels and granite water table, and the selective repair and repointing of the stone masonry. Preservation of historic buildings presents challenges that modern construction does not. The detail that GSA put into this National Register listed property assures the citizenry of Oklahoma that the federal government cares not only about the people of Oklahoma, but also takes pride in its historic buildings located in the state, ” said Lynda S. Ozan, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office.

The project began after GSA identified exterior deterioration that was allowing water to enter the building causing damages to interior finishes.  The repairs included repairing historic stones and exterior cleaning.  Because of the historic nature of the property and sensitivities to certain products and techniques, GSA worked in close coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office and our contractors.  The attention to detail paid off as reflected in the Certificate of Merit.  

Today, Tulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma with over 400,000 residents.  A lot has happened since 1915.  GSA’s  goal is to ensure our historic properties, like this one, benefit our tenants and enhance the local community for generations to come.  Acknowledgments like this award, let us know we are on the right track.