Although the area was already settled, El Paso experienced rapid growth as the stage line traffic grew and once the railroad arrived. Many of the historic architectural landmarks we saw on our self-guided walking tour were built in the late 1800's and early 1900's. I've posted three of our favorites.
The Kress Building has some art deco features and is very colorful. S. H. Kress operated it's five-and-ten-cent store at that location from 1938 to 1997 and the building is said to be the company architect's favorite of all the Kress stores. The stained glass photo is of the 25-foot Tiffany dome inside the lobby of the former Paso Del Norte Hotel (now named the Camino Real Hotel). This hotel was the most elegant in it's time and had a roof top ballroom. The third picture shows the ornate work of the Hotel Cortez in Spanish Colonial Revival Style. Enlarge it and you can see the unique feature of portrait heads of conquistadors (look for circles with darkened features). President John F. Kennedy was a guest at the Cortez in June 1963.
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