Thomas Gilcrease Estate, 1400 North Gilcrease Museum Drive, Tulsa

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OK-25. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Gilcrease Estate was home to Thomas Gilcrease, founder of the Gilcrease Oil Company and the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art. Gilcrease, a passionate collector of American art, artifacts, and historical documents, especially those pertaining to the American West and American Indians, opened his collection to the citizens of Tulsa, Oklahoma in Today, the Gilcrease Museum, which is a designated Oklahoma Landmark, houses the largest collection of art and artifacts of the American West in the world. It's beautifully manicured Eclectic ally-styled landscape includes 23 acres of creatively themed gardens designed by the Tulsa based Planning Design Group and landscape architect Jacob (Joe) Braun of the Jacob Braun Company.

History: Thomas Gilcrease, part Creek Indian, received 160 acres near Glenpool, Oklahoma from the Creek Nation in In the Glenn Pool Oil Field was discovered, and by Gilcrease was amassing an impressive fortune from thirty-two oil wells on his land. In he started the Gilcrease Oil Company. After a trip to Europe, Gilcrease developed a love for the arts and began collecting what would become the largest collection of art on the American West in the world. To showcase his increasing collection, Gilcrease opened the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art in across from his Tulsa residence which he purchased in In after Gilcrease suffered some financial misfortunes, ownership of the museum, home, collections, and the land on which it sat was transferred to the City of Tulsa.

Upon his death in Gilcrease was buried in a private mausoleum on the property. In the late the museum was expanded to house the entire Gilcrease collection as it underwent a million renovation designed by architect Britt Embry, principal of Murray Jones Murray. Paying homage to Gilcrease's Creek heritage, part of the museum resembles a barrel vaulted Creek longhouse. During the late and most of the Tulsa-based Planning Design Group and the Jacob Braun Company designed several themed gardens on 23 of the 460 acres surrounding the museum and residence. The gardens include a rock garden, Victorian garden, Colonial garden, and a Pre-Columbian garden. In the City of Tulsa and the University of Tulsa entered into a joint partnership to own and manage the property.

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OK-25. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

"Gilcrease, The Museum of the Americas," http://www.gilcrease.org (accessed August 20, THOMAS GILCREASE ESTATE (GILCREASE MUSEUM) HALS NO. OK-25 PAGE 2 Davis, Kirby L. "These Walls: The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa." The Journal Record, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. April 24, Watts, James D., Jr. "His Vision in Hindsight: Thomas Gilcrease Exhibit Reveals the Man Behind the Treasures." Tulsa World, Tulsa, Oklahoma. June 7, "Thomas Gilcrease." Tulsa Historical Society. (accessed August 20, "City of Tulsa, TU Celebrate Gilcrease Museum Partnership," mpartnership.aspx (accessed August 20, Karp, Walter. "Thomas Gilcrease and His Western Museum." American Heritage Magazine. February (Accessed August 28, Erwin, Sarah. "Gilcrease Museum," Oklahoma Historical Society. (accessed August 20,

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OK-25. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Steve Eilers, March 12, Steve Eilers, August 28, West Stillwater, OK steve.eilers@okstate.edu Dr. Charles Leider Professor and Director of the Landscape Architecture Program Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department 360 AG Hall Stillwater, OK Office: charles.leiderfalokstate.edu THOMAS GILCREASE ESTATE (GILCREASE MUSEUM) HALS NO. OK-25 PAGE 3 ... ^-. 7 ,- fi '>"J^$--::i > '. iiLp--v View at the entrance to the Gilcrease Museum (Steve Eilers, August 28, ^ .-" l HijC .. View along a pathway in the Friendship Garden (Steve Eilers, August 28,