Riverview in Tulsa in Tulsa County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Hotel Ambassador
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 8, 2025
1. Hotel Ambassador Marker
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Opened Re-opened
1929 1999
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 36° 8.55′ N, 95° 59.26′ W. Marker is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in Tulsa County. It is in Riverview. It is at the intersection of West 14th Street and South Main Street, on the right when traveling west on West 14th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1324 S Main St, Tulsa OK 74119, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Muscogee Nation and specifically in the Cherokee Nation. It is also in the American South, specifically 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 the territory of the Mississippian Culture and
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carlton Place Historic District (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cathedral Square (approx. Ό mile away); Bishop's Driv-Inn (approx. 0.3 miles away); 10th Street & Main Street (approx. 0.3 miles away); Elliott Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Moore Manor (approx. 0.4 miles away); Sophian Plaza (approx. 0.4 miles away); Creek Nation Council Oak Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tulsa.
Regarding Hotel Ambassador. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
Patrick Hurley built the Ambassador to impress his father-in-law, Admiral [Henry B.] Wilson, and give him a place to stay when he visited Tulsa. The hotel was also Patrick Hurley's last address in Oklahoma prior to his leaving the state in 1938. The Ambassador was the only commercial building constructed by Hurley, even though he had many real estate interests. The construction of the Ambassador in 1929 marked a watershed in Hurley's life. The hotel opened on April 1st, 1929, and Hurley was appointed assistant Secretaryof War (the first presidential cabinet appointee from Oklahoma) in March of 1929.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 20252. Hotel Ambassador Marker
The Ambassador Hotel is eligible for the National Register because of the unique combination of its style, size, materials, use and condition. The design and construction of the Ambassador is a physical manifestation of one of the most important periods in the development of Tulsa's urban core. The attractive Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival design and sound construction of the building may be the key reason it still stands.
Also see . . .
1. Hotel Ambassador (Tulsa, Oklahoma). Wikipedia entry:
Links to national Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Submitted on May 14, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Hurley, Patrick Jay (1883-1963). In 1898 fifteen-year-old Patrick went to Texas, hoping to join the Rough Riders. Too young to enlist, he returned to Indian Territory to find employment. He came in contact with a Cherokee cowboy named Will Rogers (the noted humorist), who broke him in as a ranch hand. (Thomas L. Hedglen, The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society) (Submitted on May 13, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 2025
3. The Hotel Ambassador
While it has a South Main Street address, the primary entrance is on West 14th Street.
Courtesy of Tulsa Historical Society & Museum, 1929
4. Hotel Ambassador
The hotel the year it opened.
Courtesy of Tulsa Historical Society & Museum, Beryl Ford Collection (Public Domain), circa 1922
5. Patrick Jay Hurley (1883-1963)
He served as Assistant Secretary of War during the Hoover administration, and Ambassador to China and the Middle East for Franklin D. Roosevelt. During World War II he served in the Far East where he arranged supplies and blockade runners for the Philippines. He ended his military career with the rank of major general.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 141 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 13, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
