Mills Building

The image shows Pioneer Plaza and some of the buildings which surround it. The tall grey building is the Anson Mills building. It stands on the original site of the 1832 Ponce de León ranch. Anson Mills hired Henry C. Trost of the Trost & Trost architectural firm to design and construct the building. Trost was the area's foremost pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete. Built in 1910-1911, the building was only the second concrete-frame skyscraper in the United States and one of the largest all-concrete buildings. At 145 feet (44 m), the 12-story Mills Building was the tallest building in El Paso when completed. The white building is to the left is called White House Department store. Built in 1912 by Trost, it once housed a store and the Hotel McCoy. The Plaza, opened in 1930 and once one of the best hotels in town, can be seen to the right of the image.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: EPMH

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History