The Alden Apartments

The Alden Apartments 1929-2020

The Alden Apartments has piqued the curiosity of Tulsans for decades with many finding very little. But upon my search to piece together its story I off the bat found some discrepancies in the little information that was available online. Many reported the construction of these apartments as 1918, but records actually pin the date as 1929. So let us get right into it!

In May of 1929, the building that was formerly in its place began to be dismantled with salvage companies saving many of the floors and windows from the property. The lot was purchased by local real estate developer Abraham “Abe” Lee Martin. Newspapers rejoiced at a “$157, 750 Apartment House” to be constructed at 1111 South Denver Avenue in the G.B. Perryman addition. It was going to be roughly 40×140 feet in size and have about sixty units throughout four stories.

Constructed over the summer months it was open for occupancy in September of 1929. The Mid-Continent Iron & Wire Works Inc. did the ornamental ironwork, and owner Martin was the contractor.  Before it was finished Guy Morehouse and wife took over the property. The new apartments were advertised as such and with furnishings, complete steam heat, radio, Frigidaire, full lengthy Murphy bed. It cost $67.50 a month with all bills paid.

The building became a pawn in a city dispute over boiler code. In March of 1942, an overheated boiler caused a fire on the first floor in the rear of The Alden. In total, it caused about $400 in damage to an apartment building. It was said that the cause of the fire was due to an unqualified operator who was told to report for an examination after being warned of the condition of the equipment but failed to do so. It was one of eight major incidents noted during a public hearing to revise the code.

Bomford Bros. handled the sale of the building in 1944 to Bartlesville resident C.G. Alexander for around $95,000. The building was 14 years old at this point and possibly showing some age prompting owner Guy M. Morehouse to sell. But this didn’t last long at all with news of another ownership transfer making headlines just three years later.

Joe M. Meyer and Wilma Bernice Meyer began negotiations with C. G. Alexander to purchase the property. They were very quickly turned around and traded for some properties owned by Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Hurley. When C.S. Garrett purchased the majority of the Apartment Hotels Inc. where Hurley worked he obtained The Alden for $180,000 from Meyer. Again it was sold in 1950 to big time Californian businessman J.C. Cridlebaugh.

Tragedy struck in 2005 when two men were found dead inside a fourth-story apartment. The cause of death for both men was due to an apparent gas leak and were possibly sleeping at the time of the exposure. The gas leak had come from the stove which was being used to heat the apartment. Residents were evacuated from the premises and a thorough investigation was done.

However, the area started to see a huge decline throughout the years. Having lived on 15th and Denver Avenue myself I can attest to the crime that has ridden Denver Avenue and the surrounding streets. It is one of the main areas continuously featured on the show “48 Hours” which follows different detectives around the US for the first 48 hours after a murder.

While this is just one of many stories, in 1991 a 21-year-old man named Jacob Wayne Wolf was shot to death outside The Alden. The main suspect lived in the apartment building and left the scene of the crime by stealing his landlady’s car. After he was caught a judge ruled shooter Roy Dee Robinson was committed to Eastern State Hospital in Vinita until he attained competency to stand trial.

Since its thriving time, the area has changed greatly. Aerials of the area in the 80s show a thriving block with buildings on each side of The Alden. But by 1995 all of them had been demolished leaving it lonesome. It has remained that way for the next two decades.

Alden Lofts 2023- Present

The building was abandoned in 2020 when tenants were told they had about three weeks to find other living arrangements because the building was to be renovated. For at least a year or two no work seemed to be done. But come 2023 work did finally begin on the building. New windows have been put in, the roof replaced, new exterior lighting and while I haven’t been able to see the inside of the building yet I have high hopes for this property to turn around.

Gallery Below of The Alden Apartments

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