Tidewater Winery

History:

Tidewater Oil Company (Tydol) was a major petroleum refining and marketing company in the U.S. for more than 80 years, best known for its Flying A-branded products and gas stations, and for Veedol motor oil, which was known throughout the world.

Tidewater built a large refinery in Drumright which was the center of the Tydol community. It was the needs of this growing community that spawned the building of the historic Tidal School, now the Tidewater Winery. This 8,000 sq. ft. building was built by John D. Rockefeller in the 1920's during Drumright's oil boom, later acquired by J. Paul Getty, and is listed on the national register of historic places.

When the Tydol refinery closed, many families from this Tydol community moved. What remains of the refinery are a few buildings, foundations and furnaces and the Getty office building that was closed in . The Tydol community virtually disappeared with the exception of the Tidal School. In the 1960s the community beside the school was called Tydol Camp. One of the current owners of Tidewater Winery spent her teenage years living in the "Camp" in a company house owned by Getty Oil. The more recently abandoned Getty Oil Company office remains at the top of the hill and some local families still live in what was called Tydol Camp just up the hill from the school.