O. T. Bassett Tower

O. T. Bassett Tower
The O. T. Bassett Tower
Location within Texas Location within the United States
General information
Status	open
Architectural style	Moderne, Art Deco, Stepped skyscraper
Location	303 Texas Avenue El Paso, Texas
Coordinates	31.7597°N 106.4862°W / 31.7597; -106.4862
Construction started	1929
Completed	1930
Technical details
Floor count	15
Design and construction
Architect	Trost & Trost
Main contractor	Robert E. McKee
O. T. Bassett Tower
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	less than one acre
MPS	Commercial Structures of El Paso by Henry C. Trost TR
NRHP reference No.	80004101
Added to NRHP	September 24, 1980

Front Facade

The O. T. Bassett Tower is an Art Deco skyscraper located at 303 Texas Avenue in Downtown El Paso, Texas. It was built by Charles N. Bassett, who named it in honor of his father. The tower was designed by Trost & Trost and completed in 1930, making it one of Henry Trost's last commissions. It was briefly the tallest building in the city but was surpassed later the same year by the Hilton Hotel. The Bassett Tower is 217 feet (66 m) tall and has 15 stories, with setbacks at the tenth and thirteenth floors. It is faced with tan brick veneer and adorned with stone and terra cotta decorative elements, including a sculpted face over the main entrance which is believed to be that of Trost himself.

The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in El Paso County, Texas

External links

• Official site Archived April 9, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
• Emporis