In 2011, Berggren Architects partnered with a professional conservator to perform a Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) for the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The museum is housed within the Union Agency Building, a structure which originally served as the seat of government for the “Five Civilized Tribes.” This term refers to the American Indian nations of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee Creek, and Seminole. Since the building’s government services moved to a new location in the early 1880s, the building has been home to many services including a Baptist mission, an orphan’s school, and a park. It was reclaimed and repurposed as the current museum by the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club in 1954, and the museum first opened its doors in 1966. It features exhibitions on the lives and culture of the five nations, including important artwork by artists such as Jerome Tiger, Solomon McCombs, Fred Beaver, Joan Hill, and more.

Berggren Architects worked with conservator Mayda Jensen to put together the report for the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. In our report, we identified many urgent tasks to be completed for both the main museum structure and an additional metal storage building. We recommended solutions for issues of fire egress, lighting redesign, roof and site drainage, and exterior masonry restoration.