El Paso Union Passenger Station
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This union station was built in 1904-05 as a center for El Paso's international railroad traffic. Constructed under the direction of Buchanan and Powers, general contractors, it was designed by the noted Chicago architectural firm of Daniel H. Burnham, who also designed the elaborate Union Station in Washington, D.C. The El Paso Union Passenger Station now serves as a reminder of the railroad's role in the early development of the city. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1904–05, the El Paso Union Passenger Station rose as the hub of the city's busy international railroad traffic on the U.S.–Mexico border. It was designed by the celebrated Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham — the same firm behind Washington, D.C.'s Union Station — and stands today as a monument to the railroads that drove El Paso's early growth.
Why it matters
The station embodies the railroad's transformative role in turning border towns like El Paso into major commercial gateways, and it carries the mark of Burnham, one of the giants of American architecture and city planning.
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Related people
- · Daniel H. Burnham
Themes & tags
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