Hall of State

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The exterior of the Hall of State

The Hall of State (originally the State of Texas Building) is a building at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas that is a shrine to the history of the U.S. state of Texas.

[edit] History

Built in 1936 at the astronomical (especially during the Great Depression) price of $1.2 million, the building was the most expensive per unit area of any structure built in Texas. It was designed for the centennial of the Republic of Texas by architect George Dahl in the beaux arts style and is considered one of the most representative examples of art deco architecture in Texas. The Hall of State is the culmination of the 1,500 ft (460 m) long Esplanade of State which is flanked by six exhibition pavilions and features a long reflecting pool. It was built using Texas limestone and features many memorials to many of the heroes of Texas history.

[edit] Current

The Dallas Historical Society has been responsible for managing the Hall of State since 1938. The Hall of State is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of Fair Park. In 1986, the building was restored at a cost of approximately $1.5 million, and the G.B. Dealey Library was opened.

The G.B. Dealey Library, located in the West Texas room of the Hall of State, holds more than ten thousand bound volumes and three million historic documents, including Sam Houston's handwritten account of the battle of San Jacinto.

The Dallas Historical Society rents the Hall of State for events and provides guided tours to school groups.

[edit] Architecture

The curved exedra at the entrance of the Hall of State

The exterior FSG frieze of the Hall of State honors 59 Texas historical figures. Displayed here are John Reagan, Anson Jones, James Fannin, Gail Borden, William H. Wharton, Peter Bell, Jose Navarro and Elisha M. Pease.

The curved exedra at the entrance to the Hall of Texas features 76 ft (23 m) tall limestone pillars sit in front of blue tiles designed to evoke the state's flower, the bluebonnet. In the center, above the entrance is an 11 ft (3.4 m) bronze with gold leaf statue of the "Tejas Warrior": an archer ready to fire.

Inside the Hall of State is the Hall of Heroes, which features six bronze statues of James Fannin, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Thomas Jefferson Rusk and William B. Travis. There are also bronze plaques that commemorate the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Outside, a statue of Robert L. Thornton, benefactor of the State Fair of Texas and former Mayor of Dallas stands, overlooking the esplanade.

On the exterior frieze, the Hall of State commemorates 59 prominent historical figures in Texas' history: