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FIRST NATIONAL BANK (WELLS FARGO BUILDING) (1882-1883) 202 South El Paso Street /100 East San Antonio Avenue
The First National Bank Building was constructed in 1882-1883 for Joshua Reynolds, then President of the First National Bank in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Originally constructed as a two-story Italianate structure, the building was transformed into a Second Empire style in 1888 by adding a steeply pitched mansard roof, which serves as the walls of the top floor. The upper floors of the structure were originally leased for professional offices. Over the years tenants have included Wells Fargo and Co.'s Express, the El Paso Herald newspaper, and for a brief period, the law office of gunslinger and attorney John Wesley Hardin. Hardin’s office was on the second floor, El Paso Street side, and probably the second window south from the intersection. The First National Bank vacated the property in 1914, when it merged with the American National Bank that same year. http://www.ci.el-paso.tx.us/visitelpasotexas/walking_elpaso_12.asp
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[edit] The Centre (El Paso)
The Centre is an historic building located at 123 Pioneer Plaza in El Paso, Texas. The Centre, formerly the White House Department Store and Hotel McCoy, is an elegant essay in white terra-cotta in the Chicago Commercial Style as designed by Henry C. Trost. Opened in 1912, the first floor and basement housed the store and the hotel occupied the upper six floors. The building was renovated into office space in 1985 by the El Paso Electric Company.
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[edit] San Jacinto Plaza
San Jacinto Plaza is an historic park located in the heart of Downtown El Paso, Texas. Today’s San Jacinto Plaza was once the site of the corrals for Ponce de León’s ranch. A public square was donated to the town of El Paso and in 1903 the City Council named it San Jacinto Plaza. The City contracted with Fisher Satterthwaite to create beauty out of this desert patch. He surrounded the park with a fence, created a walled pond, erected a gazebo and planted 75 Chinese Elm trees. He also introduced three alligators into the pond. The reptiles thrived. The plaza has experienced several remodelings since its origination. In 1967, the pond was removed and the alligators placed in the City Zoo. Many people still fondly refer to the plaza as “La Plaza de los Lagartos,” or Alligator Plaza. Today, a fiberglass sculpture by nationally acclaimed local artist Luis Jimenez honors the original alligators.
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[edit] Plaza Theatre
The Plaza Theatre is an historic building located at 125 Pioneer Plaza in El Paso, Texas. The theater satnds as one of the city's most well-known landmarks, and remains operational today showing various Broadway productions, Musical Concerts, and individual performers.
[edit] History
The Plaze was designed by architect W. Scott DunneWith, as a modern film house in a Spanish Colonial revival style with the flexibility of presenting stage shows. Opening night was on September 12, 1930, to a capacity crowd of 2,410. Although several theaters existed in downtown El Paso at the time the Plaza Theatre opened, its size, elaborate decor, and technical innovations made it stand out. It was advertised as the largest theater of its kind between Dallas and Los Angeles. The Plaza started as a vaudeville house and graduated to movies. The theatre features an atmospheric ceiling complete with twinkling stars and lazily floating clouds and was the first public theatre in the United States with air conditioning.
[edit] Decline
By the 1950s, two major influences factored into a slow decline in the Plaza Theatre's patronage. The advent of television and the rise of suburban neighborhoods located further and further away from downtown served as major challenges to the Plaza Theatre in addition to other downtown establishments. At the same time, a new source of competition arose with the advent of drive-in theaters in the late 1940s.
By the early 1970s, the theater was sold and much of the beautiful artwork, along with the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ was auctioned off. Only by the acquisition of the theater by the local Dipp Family in 1973 was the Plaza saved from demolition at that time.
The Plaza closed in 1974, and was briefly reopened in 1976 and 1985, only to finally close its doors in 1989.
In 1986, after years of infrequent programming, the decision was made to demolish the Plaza Theatre in order to make way for a parking lot. Spurred by a groundswell of community support, the El Paso Community Foundation began negotiations to raise the required $1 million to save the theatre from demolition. With only six weeks to raise the funds, fundraising events were held across the community with the most visible effort being staged by actress Rita Moreno the day before the deadline. It was announced that evening that enough money had been raised to save the Plaza Theatre. After the El Paso Community Foundation placed a new roof on the theater, it was donated to the City of El Paso in 1990.
[edit] Reopening
One of relatively few remaining theatres of its kind in the country, the Plaza Theatre had lost some of its original splendor. Furnishings and artwork had been removed, the facade had been altered, and parts of its once-advanced electrical systems were no longer functional, yet the interior structure appeared as it has for close to seventy years. On July 30, 2002the City of El Paso formally approved a public/private partnership with the El Paso Community Foundation to restore the Plaza Theatre to its original appearance.
At a cost of nearly
An event at the Plaza was more than simply seeing a show or a movie, but was a build-up of events. From the elaborate decor to the ushers catering to their every need, patrons were transported to a magical movie palace. Once seated, the theater lights would dim while tiny stars blinked and clouds appeared across the blue "sky" that was the ceiling of the main auditorium. The organ would rise from the orchestra pit and the organist would play a musical medley. Finally, the show would begin. It's no surprise that during the Great Depression and World War II, the Plaza Theatre and other atmospheric theaters across the United States were an escape from the everyday world.
[edit] The Building
No expense was spared in creating the elaborate building. While the exterior facade was designed to be reminiscent of a Spanish mission-style parapet, patrons were awed by the interior, with its intricately painted ceilings, mosaic-tiled floors, decorative metal railings and sconces and, to heighten the effect, antique furnishings. Due to such grandiose rococo design, the Plaza became known as "The Showplace of the Southwest."
[edit] The Mighty Wurlitzer
Further emphasis of the illustrius interior stands in the $60,000 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, designed to elevate from the orchestra pit to accompany vaudeville shows, sing-a-longs, and to entertain patrons before and after films. Its "toy box" provides the organ with the versatility to replicate such sounds as horses hooves, the ocean surf and birds chirping.
In 1972, the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ was sold at auction and housed at the home of a private collector in Dallas. In 1998 the organ was restored and returned to El Paso as a donation by the late Karl O. Wyler, Sr.. During Renovations of the theatre, the organ was put on display at Sunland Park Mall located in Northwest El Paso.
[edit] Trivia
Through the years, the Plaza hosted such popular entertainers as Sarah Bernhardt, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the Barrymore family, Sally Rand, Tallulah Bankhead, Hopalong Cassidy, John Wayne, the Marx Brothers, Rita Moreno, Henry Fonda, Tom Mix, and Jimmy Stewart.
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Thos. S. Byrne, Ltd and Arrow Builders are proud to announce commencement of the historical restoration of El Paso's historic Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre.
Built in 1927 for movies and stage shows, the Plaza's atmospheric beauty is equally matched by its glorious Spanish hallways and decor. A truly stunning movie palace, it is one of a handful of theaters that are part of the Save America's Treasures program.
With over 2,000 seats at the commencement of restoration, the Plaza is currently one of the nation's largest non-functioning theaters in the United States.
This restoration and addition will restore the Plaza to its former elegance, with all phases of construction complying with historical restoration guidelines.
