Swan Lake Historic District, Tulsa

Tucked between 15th Street and 21st Street, Peoria Avenue, and Utica Street, the Swan Lake Historic District is one of Tulsa’s most beloved and character-rich neighborhoods. Originally the site of Orcutt Lake, a spring-fed watering hole for cattle in the early 1900s, the area evolved from ranch land into an amusement park, and finally into a thriving residential enclave.

In the early 1900s, Colonel Adolphus Orcutt and his son Gus transformed their ranch into an amusement park, complete with a rollercoaster, dance pavilion, and natatorium. A streetcar line made it a popular weekend spot, but by 1917, the park was replaced by homes. Developer E.J. Brennan renamed it Swan Lake and donated the lake to the city.

Today, Swan Lake remains the district’s visual and symbolic heart. Once home to a WPA-renovated concrete fountain in 1938, the lake underwent several restorations, the most recent being a $2.2 million city-funded facelift completed in 2024, which returned the fountain to working order and restocked the lake with trumpeter swans.

The neighborhood's architecture spans Spanish and Georgian Revival to vernacular styles-many reflecting an homage to the district’s namesake. Multi-family dwellings from the 1920s and 1930s are plentiful, with more two- and three-story duplexes and apartments than anywhere else in Tulsa. The district includes over 400 contributing historic structures across roughly 127 acres.

What makes Swan Lake exceptional isn't just its buildings, but the community spirit woven into its layout. Designed with a tight street grid to encourage walkability and neighborly interaction, Swan Lake continues to host an active calendar of events and enjoys high occupancy rates. The district even attracted notable architect Joseph R. Koberling, Jr., who built his French Eclectic-style home here in 1944.

In 2011, the American Planning Association recognized Swan Lake as one of America’s "Top Ten Great Neighborhoods"-a nod to its layered history, enduring charm, and the vibrant community that calls it home.