Creston Hills [1] is a large addition which is located between Martin Luther King Avenue and the MKT tracks on the west and east and between Northeast 16th and Northeast 28th. It includes approximately 30 blocks. In the southeast corner of the district is Creston Hills Elementary School. The school is a Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style and has been identified as potentially eligible for listing on the National Register.
Creston Hills was platted in 1928 by John J. Harden, who also was responsible for the development of the Crestwood neighborhood. Both additions are located approximately twenty-five blocks from the center of the city on North 23rd; however, Crestwood is on the west.
During the last months of 1928 and the early months of 1929, Harden advertised lots for sale in Creston Hills. They were reasonably priced because the land had been purchased before the 1928 oil boom. Its amenities included location - 37 blocks from First (now Park Avenue) and Broadway; high and sightly, overlooking the city; restricted to brick, stucco or stone construction; good schools nearby; and a beautiful 7-acre park in the heart of the addition. In January of 1929 it was reported that over 40 new homes were under construction there.
Only a few more houses were built during the next years and throughout the 1930's there was very little construction completed. However, during World War II more homes were built in Creston Hills than any other single location in the city because of the proximity to Tinker Air Base. Other areas which developed between 1940 and 1944 include Crown Heights, a portion of Nichols Hills, the Cleveland and Shepherd neighborhoods, and an area at Northwest 23rd and Portland. In south Oklahoma City, the neighborhoods which lie northwest of the Oklahoma City Community Hospital were developed during this same time period.
Creston Hills was developed as an area restricted to whites. However, by the late 1940's African-American families had began to move north of Northeast 10th and at Eastern (Martin Luther King Avenue) and 10th, crossed Grand Boulevard and began developing all Black neighborhoods. Creston Hills served as part of the northwest boundary of the area designated for white families.
The majority of homes are excellent examples of residential housing constructed during the War Years. Most are small, brick, side-gabled homes with modified front porches and small, if any, overhanging eaves.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
16th Street NE • 17th Street NE • 18th Street NE • 19th Street NE • 20th Street NE • 21st Street NE • 22nd Street NE • 23rd Street NE • 24th Street NE • 25th Street NE • 26th Street NE • 27th Street NE • 28th Street NE • 29th Street NE • 30th Street NE • Albany Avenue • Cairo Avenue • Elton Avenue • Fairmont Avenue North • Granada Boulevard • Hardin Drive • Highland Drive North • Madison Street East • Martin Luther King Avenue North • Miramar Boulevard • Normandy Street • Towers Court