The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office have announced that two properties in Oklahoma have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list recognizes properties significant in the nation’s history.
In Seminole County, the Van-Sanford Apartments, located at 501 N. Milt Phillips Avenue, were built in 1929 during an oil boom as a solution to a housing crisis. The Jacobethan style building was the first permanent apartment housing in Seminole, offering luxury and amenities similar to those found in larger cities at the time. Currently, these apartments are being revitalized using Historic Preservation Tax Credits from the National Park Service.
In Muskogee County, the Moton School Campus Historic District at 208 W. Seminole Street in Taft has also received this designation. Established in 1949, it played a significant role for an All-Black town during the Jim Crow era by providing educational opportunities and serving as a social hub. The campus represents a unique landscape of racial fulfillment and self-realization and was surveyed through funding from the National Park Service.
This designation offers recognition and limited protection to these properties, along with potential financial incentives. The State Historic Preservation Office is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and nominating such properties for inclusion on this list.
