Downtown

Downtown

The image shows Mesa Street at San Jacinto Plaza. The building in the middle is the Roberts-Banner building. It was built in 1910 by Henry C. Trost and is one of the first reinforced concrete structures in El Paso. In 1908, the ground had been purchased by two prominent New Mexican cattlemen, Martin D. Roberts and William M. Banner, who began investing in Downtown El Paso in the early 20th century. To the left, parts of the old Orndorff Hotel can be seen, which is on the present site of the Cortez building. The Hotel was originally the Vendome Hotel but was acquired by Mrs. Alzina DeGroff in 1899, who renamed it Orndorff Hotel. She operated it for more than twenty-five years until 1924 when she borrowed 825,000 dollars and hired the renowned El Paso architectural firm Trost and Trost to design a new hotel. Unfortunately, Mrs. DeGroff did not live to see the completion of the building, which is now the Cortez building. The red building to the right of the image probably shows Hotel Sheldon, unofficial headquarters for Mexican Revolution partisans. It opened in 1900 but burned down in 1929. One year later the Hilton Hotel, designed by Trost too, opened on the site. It became the Plaza Hotel in 1963, which closed its doors in 1991.

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

First time at Digital Wall

Exploring through the eyes of a vibrant butterfly

Lorenzo Luna Honored - Company E

Lorenzo Luna honored at the Paso Del Norte Hotel with dinner for ...

Roof Garden of Hotel Paso del Norte - 1915

The only hotel in the world offering its guest a safe, ...

Capri Theater - 1962

Street Scene - 107 S. El Paso Street, El Paso, TX 79901 The ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017 - photograph taken inside the ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017 - band playing during open house.

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

Designated in the original blue prints as the "Degree Room", for ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

Designated in the original blue prints as the "Degree Room", for ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

Designated in the original blue prints as the "Degree Room", for ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

Designated in the original blue prints as the "Degree Room", for ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

El Paso Scottish Rite - hallway inside the building.

El Paso Scottish Rite - Mural - 2017

On Loan from Hal Marcus, Owner - 2001 Artist: Bill Rakocy - ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017 - Furniture in the basement of the ...

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017

El Paso Scottish Rite - 2017 - Furniture in the basement of the ...

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America - 2017

El Paso Town Committee – of the National Society of the ...

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America -2017

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America - 2017 El ...

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America - 2017

El Paso Town Committee – of the National Society of the ...

Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana - 1950's

This is the Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana, located in Quinta ...

Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana 1950's

Santuary of the Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana, in Quinta & ...

Carl Robinson: Northeast City Representative - District 4

Carl Robinson is a member of the El Paso City Council in Texas, ...

Black El Paso Democrats along with Deidra Pratt

Black El Paso Democtrats celebrating our Embassador.

El Paso Chihuahuas PCL championship rings

The El Paso Chihuahuas give out replica championship rings ...

Susie Azar, Mayor - 1991

Susie Azar, Mayor - El Paso, Texas, March, National Women's ...

home.search_collection