Busch-Kirby Building
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Adolphus Busch had this building constructed in 1913 as a complementary retail and office facility for his nearby Adolphus Hotel. It was acquired by the Kirby Investment Company in 1919. Designed by the St. Louis architectural firm of Barnett, Hayes & Barnett, in association with the Dallas firm of Lang and Witchell, it features a strong vertical emphasis with Gothic pinnacles and spires highlighting the top, and fine terra cotta details. RTHL - 1988
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Beer baron Adolphus Busch built this striking commercial block in 1913 as a retail and office complement to his adjacent Adolphus Hotel, then a symbol of Dallas's rising ambitions. Designed by a St. Louis firm with a local partner, its soaring vertical lines, Gothic pinnacles, and fine terra-cotta detail announced the city's arrival as a commercial capital. The Kirby Investment Company acquired the building in 1919, lending it the double name it carries today.
Why it matters
The building captures the confident early-twentieth-century boom that turned Dallas into a major Southwestern commercial hub, expressed in the era's ornate high-rise architecture.
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Related people
- · Adolphus Busch
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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In 1911–1912, Dallas businessmen convinced brewing magnate Adolphus Busch, co-founder of Anheuser-Busch, to build the first section of this hotel on the site of the old 1880s city hall. Designed by a St. Louis firm in Beaux Arts style with lavish French Renaissance detailing, the Adolphus long dominated the Dallas skyline. For decades it was the stage for the city's most important business and social occasions.
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