A New Look for the Tulsa Fire Alarm Building

The historic Tulsa Fire Alarm Building shines under new exterior lighting, with Bob Workman’s fire-and-water-inspired stained-glass lanterns illuminating the entrance following the Light the Way ceremony on August 24, 2026.

TULSA, OK — August 24, 2026 — Nearly 200 friends and supporters of the Tulsa Fire Museum gathered at the historic Tulsa Fire Alarm Building on August 24 for our Light the Way Ceremony, a special evening celebrating another milestone accomplished.

As evening settled over the vintage building, guests gathered outside for the first illumination of two newly created Art Deco-inspired lanterns at the building’s entrance, along with new exterior lighting highlighting the architecture of the 1931 structure.

Even the weather seemed to cooperate. As the ceremony began, clouds to the west parted and the setting sun produced a rainbow that stretched above the Fire Alarm Building, an unexpected backdrop to an extraordinary evening.

At the center of the project was retired architect and Tulsa Fire Museum Project Manager Bob Workman, whose connection to the Fire Alarm Building goes back more than five decades. Mr. Workman first became acquainted with the building in 1970 while studying architecture at Kansas State University. During a summer internship, he selected the Fire Alarm Building as one of three architecturally significant Tulsa buildings to study, alongside Boston Avenue United Methodist Church and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westhope.

Decades later, after returning to Tulsa and eventually retiring from architecture, Workman again became involved with the building he had admired as a student. Today, he serves as project manager for the Tulsa Fire Museum and has become an important steward of the Museum’s work to preserve the building and prepare it for its next chapter.

Bob Workman, retired architect and Tulsa Fire Museum project manager, speaks to guests before illuminating the Fire Alarm Building and its newly created lanterns during the Light the Way ceremony on August 24, 2026.

Recreating a Missing Piece of the Building

Historic photographs of the Fire Alarm Building show two large lanterns flanking its front entrance. The originals disappeared after the building flooded in 1972, during a period when the structure faced an uncertain future and was at one point scheduled for demolition. Although the building survived, its lanterns never returned.

Drawing inspiration from the historic fixtures rather than simply reproducing them, Workman designed and handcrafted two new stained-glass lanterns that complement the building’s distinctive Art Deco architecture. One represents fire and the other water, the two elements at the heart of firefighting.

Workman personally created and donated both lanterns to the Tulsa Fire Museum. The new fixtures also bring a modern element to the historic building. Their lighting can change colors, allowing the Museum to illuminate them differently for holidays, special events and other occasions while maintaining their historic character during regular use.

An Evening to Say Thank You

The Light the Way Ceremony was also an opportunity for the Tulsa Fire Museum to recognize the people who have helped make its recent progress possible. Torchbearers and other major Museum contributors were invited to be among the first to see the Fire Alarm Building illuminated, giving the Museum an opportunity to thank those whose support has helped move the organization forward.

The evening marked a visible transformation for a building that has already experienced an extraordinary history. As the new lanterns illuminated the entrance and exterior lighting brought the details of the Fire Alarm Building to life after dark, guests were able to see a glimpse of what lies ahead.

There is still much work to be done, but piece by piece, the Fire Alarm Building is coming back to life.

And on this summer evening in August, it started shining a little brighter.