Hotel Plaza and Kress Building
Hotel Plaza y Edificio Kress

Hotel Plaza and Kress Building

The image shows the buildings on the southeastern side of San Jacinto Plaza. The Plaza was built in 1930 as the Hilton Hotel. The seventeen story structure combined semi-modernistic lines with Indian designs. The tower was roofed with green terra cotta tile. The interior areas were luxury decorated and the rooms mirrored the state of the art, featuring fully electric lighting, ceiling fans, radios and private bathrooms. It served as one of El Paso's most luxurious hotels; even Elisabeth Taylor briefly lived here in 1950/51. In 1963 it became the Plaza Hotel and operated until 1991. The Kress building might be the funkiest building in town. The former 5-and-10 store opened in 1938 and was designed by company architect Edward Sibbert (who regarded it as his favorite in the national chain). Dilapidated and threatened with receivership, this beauty once racked up the chain’s highest annual sales tally.

Creator: Victor Ramirez

Area: Central / Downtown

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Photography by Patrick Donohue Craig

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Perla Fierro

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Perla Fierro

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Peter Dindinger

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Peter Dindinger

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rafael Segovia

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rafael Segovia

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Ramiro Rios

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Ray Holguin

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Ray Holguin

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rebecca Moreno

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rene Legarreta

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Reuben Jim

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Reuben Jim

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rocio Ortega

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rose Mary Avila

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Rose Mary Avila

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

photography by Ruben Gomez

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Ruben Gomez

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Sarah Jessica Esparza Monroy

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Sarah Jessica Esparza Monroy

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Sergio Ortiz Cueto (Floren Ortiz)

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

Photography by Sergio Ortiz Cueto (Floren Ortiz)

There is nothing more pleasing and rewarding than witnessing the ...

home.search_collection