V. R. Coss House

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V. R. Coss House was built in 1906 at 1315 West Okmulgee in Muskogee, Oklahoma by Virgil R. Coss, Early Banker and Real Estate Dealer.

The house consists of 3 stories with a partial basement. The first level is predominately made of quarter-sawn oak while the second level is made of maple. The home has the original stairway as well as a smaller "Servant Stairway" which had initiated at the "Butler's Pantry". The "Butler's Pantry" was recently combined with the original kitchen to make a larger "modern day" kitchen. The original dining room was fashioned after a plush dining "Railway Car" so done because of Mr. Coss's close friendship with George Pullman and remains in its original condition. The original Ludowici tile roof was removed around 1990 and was replaced by asphalt shingles until 2004 when the present owner's had new Ludowici clay tiles re-installed. The house was also the home of James A. Egan, Mayor of Muskogee from 1962-1968. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 5/2/84.

V. R. Coss was one of eight children born around Ross County Ohio in 1860 to Joseph and Catherine Coss. According to census records, Mr. Coss relocated to Nodaway County Missouri by 1880. In 1883 he married Tennessee native Margaret A. (maiden name unknown) and they relocated to Oklahoma County, OK by 1900 where Virgil was employed in the farm mortgage business. In 1904 Virgil and Margaret came to Muskogee, OK where Virgil was a director in the First National Bank and Trust Co., Muskogee. Coss remained actively involved in the real estate and mortgage business for a number of years, retiring in 1935. For the last 6 months of his life he was confined to his bed after suffering a fall in late 1936. Virgil Coss passed away in his home on May 15, 1937 from “nephritis”. Coss was 76 years old. Interestingly Coss was involved in Muskogee’s most famous unsolved murder The Severs Hotel Murder Mystery.