Look up to see a tall, tan-brick skyscraper with elegant Art Deco lines and sculpted accents rising across the intersection-this is the O. T. Bassett Tower!
Now, picture yourself in 1930, the streets buzzing with the sounds of hopeful footsteps and excitement for the city's newest-and briefly tallest-skyscraper. Charles N. Bassett, wanting to honor his father, brought this tower to life, with the talented Trost & Trost designing every stylish setback you see. As you stand here, wind whipping between modern traffic, imagine a time when this 15-story beauty soared over El Paso, shading the city with its tan brick and sharp, geometric designs. There’s a sense of playful competition-the Bassett Tower had barely finished basking in the spotlight before the Hilton next door reached even taller heights that same year! Look closely at the entrance; there’s a face carved above the doorway. Many say it’s Henry Trost himself, silently keeping an eye on the city he helped shape. Over the decades, while other giants grew around it, the Bassett Tower claimed its own kind of immortality by joining the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. If only buildings could get a trophy-or maybe just a nice hat for that famous face.
