O. T. Bassett Tower

31°45′35″N 106°29′10″W / 31.7597°N 106.4862°W / 31.7597; -106.4862Construction started1929Completed1930Technical detailsFloor count15Design and constructionArchitect(s)Trost & TrostMain contractorRobert E. McKee

O. T. Bassett Tower

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Arealess than one acreMPSCommercial Structures of El Paso by Henry C. Trost TRNRHP 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]

References

^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ "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.