In 1922, the African-American community in Okmulgee raised $25,000 in donations from community citizens, clubs, and organizations to construct the first “colored hospital” that was opened in the country. The Okmulgee Black Hospital is a two-story, 18-room brick facility that served the needs of more than 3000 of Okmulgee’s African-American population from it’s construction in 1922 to it’s closing in 1956. After it’s run as the nation’s first African-American hospital the building has served as a nursing facility for African-Americans, the Okmulgee County Youth Shelter, the local chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Deep Fork Community Action Center. The Okmulgee Black Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. (NRHP number #84003387) In 1993, the building was condemned and permanently closed by the City of Okmulgee. In 1998, The Okmulgee County Multi-Cultural Heritage Association, formed with the objective to rehabilitate the historic site and turn it into a historical cultural center showcasing the importance and history of the Black Hospital.