Tulsa Zoo Stone Cabin – Tulsa OK

City:: Tulsa, OK
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation, Zoos, Shops and Auxiliary Buildings
New Deal Agencies:: Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Work Relief Programs
Started:: 1935
Completed:: 1935
Quality of Information:: Very Good
Marked:: Unknown
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

The refectory building at the Tulsa Zoological Garden was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935. It was one of many New Deal projects undertaken in Oklahoma that “aimed to improve America’s public lands and parks” and “help lift the country out of the Great Depression.”

The former refectory building has gone through many uses at the zoo and has recently been refurbished to serve as a public event space.

“Originally designed as a refectory (gathering place to eat) this structure has served many purposes in its 86-year history. Once as a zoo entrance and concession area it also became a train depot and, more recently, the headquarters for our Cox Nature Exchange program. With its next chapter hosting birthday celebrations, we look forward to many more memories created in this space.”

Renamed the “Stone Cabin,” the old refectory building at Tulsa Zoo continues to showcase the social and physical achievements of the New Deal.