Henry C. Trost
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Henry C. Trost Henry C. Trost was one of the most prolific architects of the American Southwest. His history is closely tied to that of his chosen base of operation, El Paso. Ohio native Trost was strongly influenced by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as by the Mission Revival style. Using those influences, Trost developed his own architectural style to reflect the southwest climate, designing many early 20th-century El Paso landmarks, including Hotel Cortez, El Paso High School, Paso del Norte Hotel and Bassett Tower. Trost died in 1933. The firm he founded with his brothers continued until the 1950s. Recorded - 2003
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Ohio native Henry C. Trost became one of the most prolific architects of the American Southwest, making El Paso his base and its skyline his canvas. Drawing on Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Mission Revival, he forged a regional style suited to the desert climate, designing landmarks such as the Hotel Cortez, El Paso High School, the Paso del Norte Hotel, and Bassett Tower. He died in 1933, but the firm he founded with his brothers carried on into the 1950s.
Why it matters
Trost gave the early-20th-century Southwest an architectural identity of its own, translating national design movements into buildings shaped for the region's light and heat.
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Related people
- · Henry C. Trost
- · Louis Sullivan
- · Frank Lloyd Wright
Themes & tags
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