Ranch Acres– Neighborhood in Tulsa

Ranch Acres is a residential area in Midtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was designated in 2007 as Ranch Acres National Historic District (RAHD) because it is an excellent example of a ranch house type of subdivision built after World War II. The area is bounded by 31st Street on the north, Harvard Avenue on the east, 41st Street on the south, and both Delaware Avenue and Florence Avenue on the west.

RAHD's era of significance is 1949 to 1962 when the property was platted, the land developed and the vast majority of the houses were constructed. The district covers 182.1 acres and contains 324 residences.

Of these, 291 are considered contributing properties (about 90 percent) to the District's historical appearance. There are also two commercial properties, five objects, and three sites identified in the registration document.

At the beginning of World War II, housing in Tulsa was primarily either custom-designed (and very expensive) mansions for those who had become wealthy in the oil business or relatively inexpensive houses with few amenities. Construction, other than that considered essential to the war effort, was largely curtailed.

By the end of the war, the demand for housing by the young, relatively affluent professionals was far greater than the supply. Tulsa, like many other cities, initially turned to develop houses that were almost assembly-line design with few of the amenities that would later be taken almost for granted.

A niche housing market formed for upscale houses, attractively designed, offering as much privacy as practical and with many modern conveniences.