List of the oldest buildings in Oklahoma

This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Oklahoma, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Oklahoma. Only buildings built prior to 1870 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.

In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:

  • be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
  • incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.

This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.

List of oldest buildings

Building Image Location First built Use Notes
Sequoyah's Cabin Sequoyah County, Oklahoma 1829 House The oldest house in the state of Oklahoma and the home of Sequoyah creator of Cherokee syllabary.
Dictrict Choctaw Chief's House Swink, Oklahoma 1837 House the oldest house in the state of Oklahoma that remains on its original site; built of logs
Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum Tahlequah, Oklahoma 1844 Government Tribal Supreme Court building, possibly the oldest building completed in OK
Murrell Home Park Hill, Oklahoma 1844 House Historic plantation house
Barracks at Fort Gibson Fort Gibson, Oklahoma 1844-1867 Fort [1][2]
Judge Franklin Faulkner House Sallisaw, Oklahoma 1845 House
Wheelock Church Millerton, Oklahoma 1845-1846 Church Chocktaw stone church, oldest church building in OK
Edwards Store Latimer County, Oklahoma c. 1850 Residence/Commercial listed on National Register of Historic Places[3]
Cherokee National Capitol Tahlequah, Oklahoma 1867-1869 Government Cherokee National Capitol, now the Cherokee Nation Courthouse[4]
Cherokee National Jail Tahlequah, Oklahoma 1874 Jail In use until 1970s. Oldest jail building in Oklahoma

See also

References

  1. ^ Brad Agnew, Fort Gibson: Terminal on the Trail of Tears (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1980).
  2. ^ The Incorrect History Of Oklahoma’s Oldest Building Kelso Kelso Published: May 31, 2022 https://z94.com/the-incorrect-history-of-oklahomas-oldest-building/
  3. ^ "New Oklahoma National Register Listings announced" By Darla Shelden, Oklahoma City Sentinel Senior Reporter Feb 1, 2022 https://www.city-sentinel.com/community/new-oklahoma-national-register-listings-announced/article_3df79afc-833a-11ec-aec6-6fa7a800b5d5.html
  4. ^ PRWeb. "Cherokee Nation Launches Restoration of Historic Capitol Building." January 7, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.