OKLAHOMA — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) announced two Oklahoma properties were added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of properties significant to the past.
The first property, the Baccus House, was constructed in 1989 as a railroad office.
The building would later become associated with W.M. Baccus and the politics of Vernon, one of the remaining 13 All-Black towns in Oklahoma. W.M. Baccus was the local sheriff, county commissioner and probate administrator of McIntosh County throughout his life.
Baccus and his family purchased the home in 1920 and remained there through his retirement in 1953, said OHS.
OHS said Baccus was instrumental in securing funding for a new school in Vernon while supplying additional funding for repairing and building schools in the All-Black towns of McIntosh County.
The Robert J. LaFortune Tower was also added to the National Register of Historic Place.
Located in Tulsa, the Robert J. LaFortune tower is significant for its role in social history as it reflects a change in policy leading to the conventional method of construction, OHS said.
The tower opened in 1975 and was built to help alleviate the shortages in housing for low-income senior citizens.
OHS said the tower was the third and last senior housing project development constructed by and for the Tulsa Housing Authority. It was also the only housing project not developed under the traditional turnkey method. After increased distrust in the turnkey method, the housing authority began relying on private developers while hiring architects and builders themselves.
The National Park Service also accepted updated information that amends the name of another property in Oklahoma already on the register.
Listed as The Rock Front in 1984, the amendment changes the historic name of the property to the Dozier Mercantile Building, credits Sim Bow Dozier as the builder, clarifies the boundary of the nominated property and updates the Statement of Significance to reflect the historical accuracy of the research.
The Dozier Mercantile Building is historically significant for Commerce and Ethnic Heritage, said OHS.
OHS said the listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and in some cases, financial incentives.
The SHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for the designation.
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