Press Release
December 12, 2024
Contact: Michael Mayes
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4479
michael.mayes@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/shpo
Homes in Norman and Oklahoma City Added to National Register of Historic Places
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are pleased to announce the National Register of Historic Places designation for the following properties in Oklahoma. The National Register of Historic Places is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Cleveland County
Prairie House
550 48th Ave. NE, Norman
Designed by architect Herb Greene and completed in 1961, Prairie House is located at 550 48th Avenue NE in Norman. It is significant as an exemplary work of organic architecture through Greene’s architectural vision and rooted in Bruce Goff’s organic design principles. Greene’s architectural vision sought to synthesize various arts and respond to the elements of “people, place, time, materials, and spirit.” Prairie House’s intent as “something poetic” blends form, function, and environment of a particular time, place, and circumstance and embodies the organic architecture that Goff and his followers exemplify.
Oklahoma County
Dr. William L. and Susie Price Haywood Estate
7100 N. Sooner Rd., Oklahoma City
The Dr. William L. and Susie Price Haywood Estate in Oklahoma City was constructed c. 1930 in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century Classical Revival style and is significant at the local level for its association with Dr. William Haywood, his wife Susie Price Haywood, and their roles associated with the Black community during segregation. Dr. Haywood was a prominent physician for the Black community as early as 1910 when he became the chief African American health officer of Oklahoma County. In the 1920s, he established the Utopia Hospital, which is believed to be the first African American hospital west of the Mississippi. In the 1950s, Haywood became director and chief-of-staff at Oklahoma University Hospital. Mrs. Haywood, a cum laude graduate of Langston University, established herself as the first principal for the summer school for Negro children and eventually as a summer faculty member at Langston as an English teacher and assistant registrar. Mrs. Haywood also published textbooks for students to use, covering topics traditional books did not. The Haywood Estate is listed in the National Register for the couple’s significant role in the African American community in Oklahoma City.
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The SHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation.
The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of the Prairie House and Haywood Estate are attached. Please courtesy the State Historic Preservation Office.
