The Pythian: Built for the Boom, Abandoned by the Bust

In 1929, Tulsa was a city on the rise. Steel skeletons climbed into the sky, bank vaults were flush with capital, and oil money flowed through the hands of businessmen who shaped the skyline over breakfast meetings and bold deals. Among these visionaries were J. M. Gillette and H. C. Tyrrell, two prominent figures with plans to leave their mark on the corner of Fifth Street and Boulder Avenue. Their idea was ambitious: a 13-story mixed-use tower that would serve as both a luxury hotel and a hub for office space. At the very top, a grand event space called the “golden hall” would crown the building.

But the structure they envisioned never rose beyond the third floor.

Nearly a century later, that fragment of a dream still stands. Known today as the Pythian Building, the three-story structure is quiet and carefully preserved. Beneath its intricate terra cotta facade lies a compelling story of ambition, architecture, and economic disruption. Though often overshadowed by taller landmarks, the Gillette-Tyrrell Building remains one of Tulsa’s most intriguing architectural stories. It reflects both the optimism of the city’s oil era and the sobering limits imposed by financial collapse.

Gillette and Tyrrell brought different paths to their shared venture. Gillette had been in Tulsa since before the oil boom transformed it into a major commercial hub. He built his fortune through a combination of retail, real estate, and oil, and in 1921 constructed a stately Tudor home on what was then the edge of the city. That property, now part of the Gillette Historic District, stands as a testament to his role in Tulsa’s early development.

Tyrrell, originally from Texas, brought inherited oil wealth and a civic-minded approach to business. He invested in Tulsa real estate, supported educational institutions, and served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Tulsa. When the two men partnered on a new downtown development, they combined capital with a shared vision for building something significant.

They hired architect Edward W. Saunders to bring that vision to life. Saunders, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was already known in Tulsa for his blend of modern style and regional influence. For the Gillette-Tyrrell Building, he designed a soaring 13-story tower with three floors of retail and office space below and ten hotel floors above. The tower would be capped by a rooftop ballroom that would serve as an elegant public gathering space.

Color rendering of the proposed 13-story Gillette-Tyrrell Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma, designed by architect Edward W. Saunders in 1929.

Construction began in 1929, just before the stock market collapse. The base was built, clad in glazed terra cotta, and finished with decorative bands and pilasters. Inside, a tile-floored lobby with detailed ornamentation was installed. Vertical supports for the planned hotel floors were constructed in anticipation of the next phase.

Then came the crash. The economic downturn that followed the collapse of the stock market made new financing almost impossible. The oil business slowed, investors pulled back, and Gillette and Tyrrell found themselves unable to continue construction. Only the first three stories were completed. By 1931, the project was halted entirely and the unfinished building was sold.

That same year, the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization with national reach, purchased the structure. They finished the interior, renamed it the Pythian Building, and opened it as office and retail space. The hotel concept was abandoned, but the Art Deco design remained. The new owners retained Saunders’ decorative flourishes, including the striking exterior and lobby features. What emerged was not the tower Tulsa had been promised, but a structure that still embodied much of the original architectural vision.

Unlike many other buildings from the same period, the Gillette-Tyrrell Building expresses its design richness at the street level. The cream-colored terra cotta exterior is marked by strong vertical lines and geometric ornamentation, including zigzags and chevrons that reflect the influence of Zigzag Moderne, an early Art Deco style. Decorative bands in soft pastel tones enhance the visual texture without overwhelming the building’s form.

Inside, the lobby remains one of Tulsa’s most well-preserved examples of early twentieth-century design. The tile floor features intricate geometric patterns that recall Indigenous textile motifs. Glazed tile wainscoting lines the walls, and the coffered ceiling is both painted and adorned with plaster details. Eight chandeliers, custom-made in Sand Springs, still hang from the ceiling, casting a soft glow across the lobby’s surfaces.

One architectural element that did not survive was the terra cotta canopy above the Fifth Street entrance. It was removed in 2000 due to structural concerns and was never restored. The metal support structure still visible today serves as a reminder of the building’s unfinished past.

In 1982, the Pythian Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a contributing property within the Oil Capital Historic District. Despite changes in ownership over the decades, the building has remained remarkably intact. It is currently managed by Price Family Properties and continues to serve as a commercial office space.

The Gillette-Tyrrell Building is more than a structure that fell short of its original blueprint. It represents a moment in Tulsa’s history when the city was building toward a bold future, only to be caught in the grip of a national economic collapse. Its design tells the story of what was planned, what was possible, and what Tulsa ultimately preserved. While it never reached its intended height, the building remains an important artifact from a transformative period in the city’s development.

Located at Fifth and Boulder, the building is occasionally open to the public during historic tours and special events. Organizations such as Tulsa Tours and the Tulsa Preservation Commission offer opportunities to explore the lobby and learn more about its origins.

The Gillette-Tyrrell Building may be the tower that never rose, but it continues to stand as a symbol of thoughtful design, interrupted ambition, and enduring character in the heart of Tulsa.