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

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

A photo of the exhibit featuring some suits of the day, a Fender ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

Two saxophones from a member of the Rhythm Heirs.

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

An exhibit case with an old snare drum and microphone. And a ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

Awesome photo of the Rhythm Heirs...I think. Location of picture ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

I believe this is an old Stromberg Carlson PA system from the ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

My old Montgomery Wartd amp in the lower left, the ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

An old record player. A lot of children who visited the exhibit ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

A couple of beautiful Fender guitar amps. One is a Twin Reverb. ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

A Fender Bassman amp and a Slingerland drum kit.

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

A wall of old Juke Boxes and an old Coca-Cola cooler and a Dr. ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

A metal Coke sign, school lockers, a Dr. Pepper soda machine, a ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

Old casette recorders and a collection of 8-Track tapes. First ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

A beautiful SONY reel-to-reel tape recorder. This fits all ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

I love this. A Telefunken (is that a great name?), model ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

An old Mercury phonograph, probably mono because there is only ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

Two beautiful transistor radios. These were so innovative. ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

Old AM radios no doubt. Plug them into the wall and find your ...

El Paso Rock and Roll 1950-1970, an EP Museum of History Exhibit

Steve Crosno is a very famous El Paso DJ. That may be his ...

Bataan Memorial Trainway

Named for the victims of the Bataan Death March, the Bataan ...

Bataan Memorial Trainway

Named for the victims of the Bataan Death March, the Bataan ...

Bataan Memorial Trainway

The Bataan Memorial Trainway, named for the victims of the ...

San Jacinto Plaza with Blue Flame Building in background

The Blue Flame building was built by the El Paso Natural Gas ...

Blue Flame Building, El Paso, TX circa 1975

The Blue flame Building was built by the El Paso Natural Gas ...

home.search_collection