United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM 1. NAME OF PROPERTY HISTORIC NAME: Dallas Downtown Historic District OTHER NAME/SITE NUMBER: N/A 2. LOCATION STREET & NUMBER: Roughly bounded by Federal, N. St. Paul, Pacific Avenue, N. Harwood Street, Main Street, South Pearl Street, Commerce Street, S. Ervay, Wood Street, Akard Street, Jackson Street, Commerce, Field Street, Elm Street, North Akard Street, Pacific Avenue and North Ervay Street. CITY OR TOWN: Dallas VICINITY: N/A NOT FOR PUBLICATION: N/A STATE: Texas CODE: TX COUNTY: Dallas CODE: 113 ZIP CODE: 75201 3. STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this ( x nomination) (__ request for determination of eligibility) meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ( x meets) ( _ does not meet) the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant ( _ nationally) ( _ statewide) ( _x_ locally). ( __ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) _______________________________________________________________________ ___ __________________________ Signature of certifying official Date State Historic Preservation Officer, Texas Historical Commission ___ ___ State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property ___meets ___does not meet the National Register criteria. ( __ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ Signature of commenting or other official Date ___________________________________________________________________________ State or Federal agency and bureau 4. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that this property is: Signature of the Keeper Date of Action ____ entered in the National Register ___ See continuation sheet. ____ determined eligible for the National Register ___ See continuation sheet ____ determined not eligible for the National Register ____ removed from the National Register ____ other (explain): ________________________ USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form Dallas Downtown Historic District, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas Page 2 5. CLASSIFICATION OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY: private, public-local CATEGORY OF PROPERTY: district NUMBER OF RESOURCES WITHIN PROPERTY: CONTRIBUTING NONCONTRIBUTING 54 27 BUILDINGS 0 5 SITES 0 4 STRUCTURES 0 0 OBJECTS 54 36 TOTAL NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES PREVIOUSLY LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER: 12 (Adolphus Hotel, Magnolia Building and sign, Tiche-Goettinger Department Store and Addition, Majestic Theater, Busch-Kirby Building, Neiman Marcus Building, Wilson Building, Hilton Hotel, Republic (Davis) Building and the Purvin Hexter Building); these are NOT included in the above Resources. NAME OF RELATED MULTIPLE PROPERTY LISTING: N/A 6. FUNCTION OR USE HISTORIC FUNCTIONS: COMMERCE/TRADE = business, financial institution, department store, restaurant, specialty store GOVERNMENT = city hall, post office RECREATION AND CULTURE = theater LANDSCAPE = park, plaza CURRENT FUNCTIONS: COMMERCE/TRADE = business, financial institution, department store, restaurant, specialty store GOVERNMENT = city hall RECREATION AND CULTURE = theater LANDSCAPE = park, plaza VACANT/NOT IN USE WORK IN PROGRESS RELIGION = church 7. DESCRIPTION ARCHITECTURAL CLASSIFICATION: Late Victorian: Romanesque Revival; Gothic Revival; Italianate; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Renaissance Revival; Neoclassical, Beaux Arts Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Commercial Style, Sullivanesque; Chicago School; Skyscraper. Modern Movement: Art Deco; Moderne; International; Brutalism Other: 1-part commercial block; 2-part commercial block; Modern Curtain Wall, NO STYLE MATERIALS: FOUNDATION CONCRETE WALLS BRICK, STONE, METAL, TERRA COTTA, STUCCO, SYNTHETIC ROOF ASPHALT, OTHER OTHER WOOD, GLASS, STONE/marble, CERAMIC TILE, TERRA COTTA NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION (see continuation sheets 7-5 through 7-21). USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form Dallas Downtown Historic District, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas Page 3 8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE APPLICABLE NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA X A PROPERTY IS ASSOCIATED WITH EVENTS THAT HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE BROAD PATTERNS OF OUR HISTORY. ___ B PROPERTY IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIVES OF PERSONS SIGNIFICANT IN OUR PAST. X C PROPERTY EMBODIES THE DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TYPE, PERIOD, OR METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION OR REPRESENTS THE WORK OF A MASTER, OR POSSESSES HIGH ARTISTIC VALUE, OR REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT AND DISTINGUISHABLE ENTITY WHOSE COMPONENTS LACK INDIVIDUAL DISTINCTION. ___ D PROPERTY HAS YIELDED, OR IS LIKELY TO YIELD, INFORMATION IMPORTANT IN PREHISTORY OR HISTORY. CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS: N/A AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE: Commerce, Community Planning and Development, Architecture PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE: 1888-1958 SIGNIFICANT DATES: SIGNIFICANT PERSON: N/A CULTURAL AFFILIATION: N/A ARCHITECT/BUILDER: Ahlschlager, Walter; Barnett, Haynes & Barnett; Bossom, Sir Alfred; Bulger, C.W.; Dahl, George; Eberson, John; Greene, Herbert M; Hedrick, Wyatt C., Hill, Charles, D.; Lang & Witchell; Lemmon, Mark; Mauran, Russell & Crowell; Harrison & Abramowitz; Wetmore, James; Sanguinet & Staats. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE (see continuation sheets 8-22 through 8-78) 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY (see continuation sheets 9-78 through 9-86). PREVIOUS DOCUMENTATION ON FILE (NPS): N/A _ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested. _ previously listed in the National Register _ previously determined eligible by the National Register _ designated a National Historic Landmark _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # PRIMARY LOCATION OF ADDITIONAL DATA: x State historic preservation office (Texas Historical Commission) _ Other state agency _ Federal agency _ Local government _ University _ Other -- Specify Repository: USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form Dallas Downtown Historic District, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas Page 4 10. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF PROPERTY: Approximately 55.5 acres UTM REFERENCES: Zone 14 Easting Northing 1. 706148E 3629454N 2. 706554E 3629388N 3. 706752E 3629271N 4. 706793E 3629154N 5. 706651E 3629012N 6. 706280E 3628839N 7. 706173E 3628809N 8. 705985E 3628992N 9. 705944E 3629144N 10. 706147E 3629454N VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: (see continuation sheet 10-87) BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION: (see continuation sheet 10-87 and 10-88) 11. FORM PREPARED BY (with assistance from Gregory W. Smith, THC historian) NAME/TITLE: Lila Knight and Marcel Quimby ORGANIZATION: for the City of Dallas DATE: June 2006 STREET & NUMBER: 3200 Main Street, #3.6 TELEPHONE: (214) 343-0011 CITY OR TOWN: Dallas STATE: Texas ZIP CODE: 75226 ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION CONTINUATION SHEETS MAPS (see continuation sheet Map-89) PHOTOGRAPHS (see continuation sheets Photo-91 through Photo-94) ADDITIONAL ITEMS PROPERTY OWNER NAME: On file with Texas Historical Commission STREET & NUMBER: TELEPHONE: CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Texas ZIP CODE: NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Dallas Downtown Historic District Section 8 Page 5 Dallas, Dallas County, Texas DESCRIPTION The Dallas Downtown Historic District is located within the center of the city's central business district and contains a high concentration of properties that represent significant aspects of the commercial, physical and architectural development of the city. The buildings within this district range from modest, late-nineteenth and early twentieth century examples of brick and limestone commercial buildings to the finest examples of multi-story bank, hotel, and office buildings from the 1910s through the 1950s that illustrate the complete evolution of the skyscraper form in both Dallas and the State of Texas. In addition, the district contains notable examples of governmental buildings and an outstanding example of theatre architecture. The district features one of the state's best concentrations of late nineteenth and early twentieth century commercial and public buildings, representing the transformation of Dallas from a small agricultural trading center to a world-class financial center for banking, the oil industry, the insurance industry, and major retail outlets. Moreover, the physical development of the district reflects the major developments in the history of city planning in the state, many of which were initiated in the City of Dallas and served as a model for others. The district is composed of a total of 102 buildings, sites and structures of which 54 resources (54 buildings) are contributing, 36 are noncontributing (including 27 buildings, 5 sites, and 4 structures), and twelve buildings are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Dallas Downtown Historic District contains sufficient integrity for listing under Criterion A in the areas of commerce and community planning and development, at the local level of significance and Criterion C, in the area of architecture, at the local level of significance. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISTRICT The Dallas Downtown Historic District lies