Building Designers of El Paso; Past and Present
As local El Paso building designers, we have a deep appreciation for El Paso’s great historical architecture. Great buildings make great communities and El Paso is near and dear to our hearts. It’s good to look at some of the historical architectural wonders that lay hidden in our beloved city. New Republic Architects takes pride in continuing the tradition of beautiful and functional buildings that inspire and make the community better.
The Trost Home
In an article outlining the 10 best buildings in Texas, the publication Texas Monthly names this particular house located in El Paso as Number Four. This home belonged to architect Henry Charles Trost, who is also credited for what is now the Bhutanese-style buildings of the University of Texas at El Paso. This house sits in the Sunset Heights neighborhood near the University, rising high on a hill showcasing its illustrious design.
Henry Trost’s brother, Gustavus, was also a building designer and together they form the Trost & Trost firm that would go on to build more than 500 buildings in the Southwest Region. Other prominent Trost architectural landmarks include:
El Paso High
This is El Paso’s oldest operating high school. It is located on the West Central region of El Paso. It has a reputation for haunted hallways and unexplained occurrences, but is mostly admired for its classical revival-style architecture.
Paso Del Norte
This is the now Camino Real hotel and is famous hotel that opened in 1912 near the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. This hotel is also part of the Historic Hotels of America and is in the National Register of Historic Places. This hotel is a Beaux-Arts Architecture, a style from mid 19th century France.
Other Architectural Gems
While the Trost & Trost company were very prominent building designers, they were not the only ones that made a mark in the El Paso area by experimenting with varying architectural styles.
Magoffin Home
This was the home of Joseph Magoffin, a Civil War veteran, that became a prominent developer of the area. He helped bring in railroads, utilities, and new businesses in town. The home is build with some Greek and adobe style elements.
The Plaza Theater
One popular destination is the Plaza Theater which has been remodeled and is a place where El Paso sees a variety of theater performances including the Plaza Classic Film Festival. The theater first opened in 1930 and is built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. In 2006 much of the architectural design was accentuated with a full remodel.
Find Innovating Designers
New Republic Architects are El Paso area building designers that specialize in original architecture. We appreciate the many styles of architecture this city has to offer. New Republic wants to continue in this great tradition of aesthetically pleasing architecture while always innovating and employing new architectural designs and ideas.