O. T. Bassett Tower Explained

O. T. Bassett Tower
Location:303 Texas Avenue
El Paso, Texas
Coordinates:31.7597°N -106.4862°W
Status:open
Start Date:1929
Completion Date:1930
Floor Count:15
Main Contractor:Robert E. McKee
Map Type:Texas#USA
Architect:Trost & Trost
Architectural Style:Moderne, Art Deco, Stepped skyscraper
Embedded:
O. T. Bassett Tower
Embed:yes
Added:September 24, 1980
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:80004101

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]

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Registration: O.T. Bassett Tower . Texas Historical Commission . 1980 . February 12, 2019. With three photos from 1979 and 1980.