Manhattan Heights Historic District

Beginning in 1899 property was purchased in four separate parcels as the future site for the Federal Copper Company’s smelting operations. El Paso was chosen as a midway point to process copper ore from the company’s mines in Arizona and Mexico. Officially blown in on September 10, 1901, the smelter required crews of over 100 men working round-the-clock to process the ore. Despite its auspicious beginning, the company debts were crushing and by 1908 it ceased to exist altogether as a result of a foreclosure. The ruins of the smelter stood idle until 1912 when demolition was begun as residential developments extended toward the area. The machinery was sold to an iron works company and Parcel #1 was purchased by El Pasoans J.F. and O.C. Coles in 1913 for $32,000. Coles building and Real State Company than subdivided the land, a portion of which became the Castle Heights Subdivision and the remainder of which eventually became Memorial Park. Concurrently, Leo C. Dessar, who had purchased Parcels 2, 3 and 4 from the Federal Copper Company in 1907, helped organize the Manhattan Heights Company which then purchased the parcels from him. Subdivided into blocks and lots with streets and alleys, the property, designated as the Manhattan Heights Addition to the City of El Paso, was sold to Dr. James Brady, a local dentist who was also the president of both a paving and construction company. Reflecting the original use of the property, developers named the streets Federal, Copper, Silver, Gold and Bronze. https://www.elpasotexas.gov/development_services/_documents/ManhattanDesignGuidelines.pdf