Federal Courthouse

"The El Paso U.S. Courthouse, also known as El Paso Federal Building or the U.S. Court House, is a historic building in El Paso, Texas. It is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. The building was completed in 1936 and served historically as a courthouse and as a government office building. It is located at 511 East San Antonio Avenue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001." "The Courthouse gives the Federal Government a strong, tangible presence in downtown El Paso. Designed and built in the mid-1930s the building is similar in size, style and construction to government buildings of this era across the country. The architects were Percy McGhee, Guy L. Frazer, and Thomas P. Lippincott. The Neo-Classical Revival facades and durable materials of the blocklike exterior communicate the importance of the functions housed therein to the citizens of the community. The government commissioned artist Thomas C. Lea, III to paint a mural (Pass of the North) in the courthouse in 1938." "The basic plan layout is also fairly typical for buildings of this size and era, with spaces configured between and around two large interior courtyards. This arrangement provides light and air to interior rooms, in a way appropriate to the hot, dry climate of Southwest Texas. Originally designed to house two Courts along with offices for related branches of government, growth of the Courts has generated most of the plan changes over time. As of 2010, there were seven courtrooms in the U.S. Courthouse, with an eighth in the planning stage." Information taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_House_%28El_Paso,_Texas,_1936%29

Creator: Lotte Kryger Bro

Area: Central / Downtown

Collection: Neighborhood photos

Source: EPMH

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History