Deco District in Tulsa in Tulsa County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
The Mid-Continent Building
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 2025
1. The Mid-Continent Building Marker
National Register of Historic Places
by the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation
Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
Constructed 1918 by Cosden Oil & Gas Company
Restored 1980 by Reading & Bates Corporation
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.
Location. 36° 9.167′ N, 95° 59.35′ W. Marker is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in Tulsa County. It is in the Deco District. It is at the intersection of East 4th Street and South Boston Avenue, on the right when traveling east on East 4th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 S Boston Ave, Tulsa OK 74103, 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
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tulsa Municipal Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Philtower Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); In Memoriam (about 400 feet away); The Mayo Building (about 500 feet away); Tulsa (about 600 feet away); Pentane (C5H12) Molecular Model (about 600 feet away); Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Adams (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tulsa.
Regarding The Mid-Continent Building. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
The Cosden Building is significant both architecturally and historically as the structure most closely associated with oilman Josh Cosden. The fifteen story building was Tulsa's first reinforced concrete building and first skyscraper.
Josh Cosden (dubbed the Prince of Petroleum by the press) founded the Cosden (later the Mid-Continent) Oil Company. Worthover fifty million dollars by the age of thirty-nine, he built the Cosden Building to provide both office space and his penthouse residence.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 8, 20252. The Mid-Continent Building Marker
Also see . . .
1. Cosden Building (PDF). National Register nomination and accompanying photographs for the original 16-story building, which was listed in 1979. [The top 20 floors were added in 1984] (Prepared by Jan Jennings Sparks, Tulsa Historic Preservation Office; via National Park Service) (Submitted on May 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Cosden, Joshua Seney (1881-1940). Oil magnate Josh Cosden, born in Maryland on July 8, 1881, earned and squandered two fortunes. (Larry O'Dell, The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture ) (Submitted on May 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 9, 2025
3. The Mid-Continent Building (on right)
The wider, 16-story portion on the bottom was built in 1918. The top 20 floors (narrower section) were added in 1984. The tower addition appears to rest on the older building, but it is actually supported by an addition built onto the east side of the 1918 structure. The two sections don't touch but are so closely matched that they are considered a single building.
Les McClelland, via National Register of Historic Places nomination (Public Domain), July 1978
4. Cosden Building
The original 16-story structure that was erected in 1918.
Romance of American Petroleum and Gas, A.R. Crum & A.S. Dungan, eds.; via Google Books (Public Domain), circa 1921
5. Joshua Seney Cosden (1881-1940)
He went from drugstore clerk in Baltimore to an estimated $50 million fortune in Tulsa, but fell into dire financial straits in 1925. As a result, Mid Continent Petroleum Co. acquired the Cosden Building and renamed it Mid Continent Tower. He built and again lost another fortune from oil and died on a train just days after his last assets were auctioned off.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 14, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
