O. T. Bassett Tower

O. T. Bassett Tower
The O. T. Bassett Tower
O. T. Bassett Tower is located in Texas
O. T. Bassett Tower
Location within Texas
O. T. Bassett Tower is located in the United States
O. T. Bassett Tower
O. T. Bassett Tower (the United States)
General information
Statusopen
Architectural styleModerne, Art Deco, Stepped skyscraper
Location303 Texas Avenue
El Paso, Texas
Coordinates31°45′35″N 106°29′10″W / 31.7597°N 106.4862°W / 31.7597; -106.4862
Construction started1929
Completed1930
Technical details
Floor count15
Design and construction
Architect(s)Trost & Trost
Main contractorRobert E. McKee
O. T. Bassett Tower
Arealess than one acre
MPSCommercial Structures of El Paso by Henry C. Trost TR
NRHP reference No.80004101[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 24, 1980

The O. T. Bassett Tower is an Art Deco skyscraper located at 303 Texas Avenue in Downtown El Paso, Texas. It was built by Charles N. Bassett, who named it in honor of his father. The tower was designed by Trost & Trost and completed in 1930, making it one of Henry Trost's last commissions. It was briefly the tallest building in the city but was surpassed later the same year by the Hilton Hotel. The Bassett Tower is 217 feet (66 m) tall and has 15 stories, with setbacks at the tenth and thirteenth floors. It is faced with tan brick veneer and adorned with stone and terra cotta decorative elements, including a sculpted face over the main entrance which is believed to be that of Trost himself.

The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration: O.T. Bassett Tower" (PDF). Texas Historical Commission. 1980. Retrieved February 12, 2019. With three photos from 1979 and 1980.
Preceded by Tallest Building in El Paso
1930
114m
Succeeded by