San Jacinto Plaza in 2011

San Jacinto Plaza used to be the center of the community before El Paso spread out. One can see three historic buildings situated at the Plaza. To the center left in front of Wells Fargo, is the Cortez Building, built in 1911 by Henry C. Trost, characterized by a blending of styles and decorative details. On the center right, at the northern edge of the Plaza, one can see the Roberts-Banner Building, another Trost-building, which opened in 1910. It is marked by its reinforced concrete structure and its U-shape. The Kress building was built next to it in 1937 and designed by Edward Sibbert. It is a beautiful and colorful building. San Jacinto Plaza is also known as the Plaza of the Alligators or Plaza de los Lagartos. This name refers to the time (1889 - 1965) when alligators inhabited a pond in the middle of the Plaza. Due to vandalism they had to be removed. Now a fiberglass sculpture by Luis Jimenez reminds of the alligators. Showing four alligators it can be seen on the picture.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: Leo Miletich

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History