Tahlequah in Cherokee County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Thompson House
Circa 1880's
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024
1. Thompson House Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.
Location. 35° 54.69′ N, 94° 58.415′ W. Marker is in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in Cherokee County. It is at the intersection of South College Avenue and West Choctaw Street, on the left when traveling north on South College Avenue. The marker and house are located at the southwest corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 South College Avenue, Tahlequah OK 74464, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Cherokee Nation and in Northeast Oklahoma Green Country. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Ozarks, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Tahlequah (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Blacksmith Shop (approx. 0.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Ross ᎫᏫᏍᎫᏫ (approx. 0.2 miles away); Judge John Martin, Jr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cherokee Advocate (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cherokee National Capitol (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tahlequah.
Regarding Thompson House. National Register of Historic Places № 93000155, as Joseph M. Thompson House.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Evelyn Gravitt and Mary Ann Head; revised by Marsha Weisiger, 10/1992:
The Joseph M. Thompson House, built ca. 1889, is an outstanding example of Queen Anne architecture in Tahlequah. In design, appearance, and feeling the house embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Queen Anne style with Eastlake details, a style popularboth nationally and locally from about 1880 until about 1910. It exemplifies the endeavors of the Cherokees to adopt Euro-American cultural practices as a strategy for retaining control of the Cherokee Nation.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 20242. Thompson House & MarkerLooking west; the marker is mounted near the northeast corner of the property.The Thompson House was the home of Dr. Joseph M. Thompson, a leading health practitioner in the Cherokee Nation. The house was built by Tahlequah merchant Johnson Thompson, reportedly as a gift to his son upon graduation from medical school. The elder Thompson, a mixed-blood Cherokee, came to Indian Territory in 1835 with the Cherokee treaty party. He operated one of the leading mercantile establishments in Tahlequah and raised stock cattle on two hundred acres in the Cherokee Nation. He was also one of the first Cherokee Masons. His son Joseph was born February 8, 1865, to Eliza C. Taylor Thompson, also a Cherokee, while the family was residing in the Chickasaw Nation, where they had taken refuge from Civil War raiders. He graduated from the Cherokee Male Seminary at Park Hill about 1883 and the Indian University in Tahlequah soon thereafter, then began reading medicine with Dr. Allen (first name unknown). In 1888 he began attending Missouri Medical College (now Washington University at St. Louis), where he received his degree in medicine in 1889.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024
3. Thompson House (east elevation)
From the National Register Nomination: The Cherokee star set within a Masonic triangle at the east gable end reflected Dr. Thompson's tribal heritage and his membership in the Cherokee Masonic Lodge.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024
4. Thompson House (north elevation)
From the National Register Nomination: The Thompson House possesses all of the hallmarks of the Queen Anne style. The principal characteristics of the style include a steeply pitched roof, usually with a dominant front-facing gable; patterned shingles; an asymmetrical facade with a one-story porch; and cutaway bay windows. The Eastlake, or spindlework, subtype incorporates knob-and-spindle friezes, turned columns, cutout brackets, and the bulls eye motif. The Thompson House expresses all of these characteristics. Particularly notable are the patterned shinglework in the gable ends; the window glazing, with a large pane of glass bounded by small panes, also typical of the style; the bay and oriel windows; the scroll brackets with cutout bulls-eyes and knob pendants; and the front entry porch, with its knob-and-spindle frieze, turned columns, lacy cutout railing, and scalloped archway. Also noteworthy is the incorporation of gable details reflecting the personal interests of Dr. Thompson. The mortar and pestle in the north gable end represented Thompson's work as a physician and pharmacist.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 26, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 298 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 26, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
