Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma contains many examples of Art Deco architecture, but among those many marvels, one building stands out as nearly a parody of the style. The “fauxback” Denver Avenue Station, with its exaggerated Art Deco elements, is not an architectural wonder. Instead, its form tells the story of Tulsa’s boom, protracted decline, and hope for its revival. Tulsa’s prominence as an Art Deco city is mostly a matter of happenstance. On June 24, 1901, oil shot out 30 feet high at a derrick in what is now the Red…
