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130-708: The building was designed by the El Paso firm of Trost & Trost and is of reinforced concrete construction with a facade of yellow brick. The architectural style is Renaissance Revival . The building was known for having what was believed to be the last manually operated elevator in New Mexico. One of the building's longest running commercial tenants was F. D. Fogg and Company, a local jeweler which operated there from 1948 to 1985. The company closed in 2004 after 83 years in business. The TV Show In Plain Sight filmed

260-696: A pluton , rises within the Rio Grande Rift just to the west of El Paso on the New Mexico side of the Rio Grande. Nearby volcanic features include Kilbourne Hole and Hunt's Hole , which are Maar volcanic craters 30 miles (50 km) west of the Franklin Mountains. On November 8, 2023, a 5.3 magnitude Earthquake struck the El Paso region. The epicenter of the earthquake was 22 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of Mentone , according to

390-619: A Historicist example of Classical Palladianism combined with the French Renaissance, a uniquely distinctive interpretation of the Renaissance Revival style. As mentioned above, the Neo-Renaissance style was in reality an eclectic blending of past styles, which the architect selected on the whims of his patrons. In the true Renaissance era there was a division of labour between the architect, who designed

520-761: A Renaissance influence, its first flight is similar to "The staircase of the Giants" rises from the Doge's Palace Courtyard, designed when the Venetian Gothic was being uncomfortably merged with Renaissance style. Similarly to that at Mentmore, the Staircase of the Giant's terminates on to an arcaded loggia. Perhaps not ironically the Hall and Staircase at Mentmore were designed by Paxton to display furniture formerly housed in

650-499: A building were of several floors, the uppermost floor usually had small square windows representing the minor mezzanine floor of the original Renaissance designs. However, the Neo-renaissance style later came to incorporate Romanesque and Baroque features not found in the original Renaissance architecture which was often more severe in its design. John Ruskin 's panegyrics to architectural wonders of Venice and Florence in

780-452: A celebrated scout, was put in charge of a 250-strong private security detail hired by John Hays Hammond , who in addition to owning large investments in Mexico, was a close friend of Taft from Yale and a U.S. vice presidential candidate in 1908. On October 16, the day of the summit, Burnham and Private C.R. Moore, a Texas Ranger, discovered a man holding a concealed palm pistol standing at

910-409: A footprint of 75 by 140 feet (23 by 43 m). It is faced with marble on the ground floor and yellow brick on the upper levels. The architecture is usually identified as Renaissance Revival , with decorative brickwork and pilasters, a heavy cornice , and a balustraded parapet. The building is further decorated with swags, medallions, and other ornaments. Like the nearby First National Bank Building ,

1040-411: A four-acre resort-like area with a lazy river, kiddy splash pad, pool, grass areas, and a food truck area, the developers reported. Jessica Herrera, director of the city of El Paso Economic and International Development Department, in a statement released by the developers, said Campo del Sol will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues, "which will stimulate other growth and development on

1170-467: A height of 52 feet (16 m) from the stage to the grid deck . The balcony is reached from staircases on either side of the theater, with a mezzanine containing restrooms. The office section has a separate entrance lobby opening onto Second Street. The building was notable for having what was believed to be the last manually operated elevator in New Mexico, which was staffed by elevator operators until at least 1989. The Sunshine Theater, which occupies

1300-522: A more flowing line of design than had been apparent in the earlier Gothic. The Chateau de Blois's triumphal staircase was imitated almost from the moment of its completion, and was certainly the predecessor of the "double staircase" (sometimes attributed to Leonardo da Vinci ) at the Château de Chambord just a few years later. A Grand Staircase whether based on that of Blois, or the Villa Farnese

1430-603: A planned summit in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a historic first meeting between the Presidents of the two countries, and also the first time an American President crossed the border into Mexico. However, tensions rose on both sides of the border, including threats of assassination; so the Texas Rangers , 4,000 U.S. and Mexican troops, U.S. Secret Service agents, FBI agents, and U.S. marshals were all called in to provide security. Frederick Russell Burnham ,

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1560-594: A population of 1,098,541. These three cities form a combined international metropolitan area sometimes referred to as the Paso del Norte or the Borderplex . The region of 2.7 million people constitutes the largest bilingual and binational workforce in the Western Hemisphere . The city is home to three publicly traded companies, and former Western Refining , now Marathon Petroleum , as well as home to

1690-602: A population of 868,859 in 2020. El Paso stands on the Rio Grande across the Mexico–United States border from Ciudad Juárez , the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua . The Las Cruces area, in the neighboring U.S. state of New Mexico , has a population of 219,561. On the U.S. side, the El Paso metropolitan area forms part of the larger El Paso–Las Cruces combined statistical area , which has

1820-592: A portion of the Rio Grande floodplain upstream from downtown, which is known locally as the Upper Valley and is located on the west side of the Franklin Mountains . The Upper Valley is the greenest part of the county due to the Rio Grande. The West Side is home to some of the most affluent neighborhoods within the city, such as the Coronado Hills, Country Club, and Three Hills neighborhoods. It

1950-711: A significant portion of the building, operated as a movie theater from 1924 until the 1980s and has since been remodeled into a popular live music venue. The Sunshine Theater has hosted a number of notable acts such as The Strokes , Snoop Dogg , Soulfly , Deltron 3030 , Stone Temple Pilots , The Smashing Pumpkins , Queens of the Stone Age , The Dead Weather , Arctic Monkeys , Modest Mouse , Rancid , Coheed and Cambria , Awolnation , Cannibal Corpse , Ratatat , Social Distortion , Pennywise , Hollywood Undead , Deftones , Nightwish , Melanie Martinez , Damian Marley and Deadmau5 among others. The Sunshine Theater's set up

2080-500: A single night through the potent agencies of Monte and poker. There were only two or three American ladies, and most of the whites kept Mexican mistresses. All goods were brought on wagons from the Gulf of Mexico and sold at an advance of three or four hundred percent on Eastern prices. From hills overlooking the town, the eye takes in a charming picture—a far-stretching valley, enriched with orchards, vineyards, and cornfields, through which

2210-593: A small bar district. This bar scene has grown over the years and has attracted thousands to its annual Mardi Gras block party , as well as after sporting events or concerts. Young men and women make up the majority of the crowds who stop in between classes or after work. Sunset Heights is one of the most historic areas in town, which has existed since the latter part of the 1890s. Many wealthy residents have had their houses and mansions built on this hill. Although some buildings have been renovated to their former glory, many have been neglected and have deteriorated. During

2340-667: A style not always instantly recognisable as a derivative of the Renaissance. In this less obvious guise the Neo-Renaissance was to provide an important undercurrent in totalitarian architecture of various countries, notably in Stalinist architecture of the Soviet Union , as seen in some pavilions of the All-Soviet Exhibition Centre . Neo-Renaissance architecture, because of its diversity, is perhaps

2470-424: Is 2.6 in (6.6 cm) at the airport (but with a median of 0, meaning most years see no snow at all). Snow is most rare around Ysleta and the eastern valley area, which usually include large numbers of palm trees ; in the higher neighborhoods, palm trees are more vulnerable to snow and cold snaps and are often seen with brown, frost-damaged fronds. One example of El Paso's varying climate at its most extreme

2600-620: Is a group of 19th-century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes. Under the broad designation Renaissance architecture 19th-century architects and critics went beyond the architectural style which began in Florence and Central Italy in the early 15th century as an expression of Renaissance humanism ; they also included styles that can be identified as Mannerist or Baroque . Self-applied style designations were rife in

2730-625: Is an open floor, a large balcony, and a bar that seats a 21 and older audience, in all they accommodate about 1,000 people. The theater is the most popular venue in the Albuquerque metro area to accommodate smaller but still notable acts, many with five or more shows in one month. The band Soulfly with Max Cavalera was given the key to the city at the venue, on January 28, 2023, by Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller (politician) . El Paso, Texas El Paso ( / ɛ l ˈ p æ s oʊ / ; Spanish: [el ˈpaso] ; lit.   '

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2860-531: Is an outstanding ensemble of Neo-Renaissance townhouses from the last decades of the 19th century. The most famous Hungarian architect of the age, Miklós Ybl preferred Neo-Renaissance in his works. In Russia, the style was pioneered by Auguste de Montferrand in the Demidov House (1835), the first in Saint Petersburg to take "a story-by-story approach to façade ornamentation, in contrast to

2990-684: Is formed by not only the original Italian architecture but by the form in which Renaissance architecture developed in France during the 16th century. During the early years of the 16th century, the French were involved in the Italian Wars , bringing back to France not just the Renaissance art treasures as their war booty , but also stylistic ideas. In the Loire valley a wave of chateau building

3120-690: Is home to the famous natural red-clay formation, the Thunderbird, from which the local Coronado High School gets its mascot's name. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 256.3 sq mi (663.7 km ). The 24,000-acre (9,700 ha) Franklin Mountains State Park , one of the largest urban parks in the United States, lies entirely in El Paso, extending from

3250-482: Is known as "The Castle" due to its round walls and a crenelated rooftop. Kern Place is extremely popular with college and university students. The area is known for its glitzy entertainment district, restaurants and coffee shops that cater to both business patrons and university students. After UTEP's basketball and football games, UTEP fans pack the Kern Place area for food and entertainment at Cincinnati Street,

3380-434: Is more in the lighter, more columned style of Ottaviano Nonni 's (named il Mascherino) staircase designed for Pope Gregory XIII at Rome's Palazzo Quirinale in 1584, thus demonstrating that architects wherever their location were selecting their Neo-Renaissance styles regardless of geography Gothic influences on both period and revived Renaissance architecture are readily apparent, first as much building occurred during

3510-548: Is one of the fastest-growing areas of El Paso. The main high schools in the westside include Canutillo High School , Coronado High School (El Paso, Texas) , and Franklin High School (El Paso, Texas) . West-central El Paso is located north of Interstate 10 and west of the Franklin Mountains. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the Cincinnati Entertainment district are located in the heart of

3640-478: Is particularly evident at Hatfield House (1607–1612), where medieval towers jostle with a large Italian cupola. This is why so many buildings of the early English Neo-Renaissance style often have more of a "castle air" than their continental European contemporaries, which can add again to the confusion with the Gothic Revival style . When the revival of Renaissance style architecture came en vogue in

3770-740: Is spelled with a "Y" because 19th-century script did not differentiate between a capital "Y" and a capital "I". Some people in this area and its twin city across the river, Ciudad Juárez, are direct descendants of the Spaniards. El Paso is surrounded by many cities and communities in both Texas and New Mexico. The most populated suburbs in Texas are Socorro , Horizon City , Fort Bliss, and San Elizario. Other Texas suburbs are Anthony , Canutillo , Sparks , Fabens , and Vinton . Although Anthony , Santa Teresa , Sunland Park , and Chaparral lie adjacent to El Paso County, they are considered to be part of

3900-969: Is the third-largest area of the city, behind east El Paso and central El Paso. Hawkins Road and Interstate 10 border the Mission Valley. This location is considered the oldest area of El Paso, dating back to the late 16th century when present-day Texas was under the rule of New Spain . In 1680, the Isleta Pueblo tribe revolted against the Spaniards who were pushed south to what is now El Paso. Some Spaniards and tribe members settled here permanently. Soon afterward, three Spanish missions were built; they remain standing, currently functioning as churches: Ysleta Mission -1682 (La Misión de Corpus Christi y de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur/Our Lady of Mt. Carmel), Socorro Mission -1759 (Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción del Socorro)-1759, and San Elizario Chapel (Capilla de San Elcear)-1789. On April 30, 1598,

4030-608: Is to the capital of its own state, Austin (528 miles (850 km) away). It is closer to Los Angeles , California (700 miles (1,100 km) away) than it is to Orange, Texas (858 miles (1,381 km) away), the easternmost town in the same state as this city. El Paso is located within the Chihuahuan Desert , the easternmost section of the Basin and Range Region . The Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from

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4160-529: The British Raj in 1880, the façades of the 1777 Writers' building in Kolkata were redesigned in the Renaissance Revival style then popular in colonial India, though this version was remarkable in its unique design. Loggias of Serlian arches deceptively form an almost Indian appearance, yet they sit beneath a mansard roof. In what at first glance appears an Indian building, on closer examination shows

4290-655: The Department of the Army pressured El Paso authorities to crack down on vice (thus "benefitting" vice in neighboring Ciudad Juárez). With the suppression of the vice trade and in consideration of the city's geographic position, the city continued into developing as a premier manufacturing, transportation, and retail center of the U.S. Southwest. In 1909, the El Paso Chamber of Commerce hosted U.S. President William Howard Taft and Mexican President Porfirio Díaz at

4420-499: The Gothic revival can at times be especially tricky, as both styles were simultaneously popular during the 19th century. As a consequence, a self-consciously "Neo-Renaissance" manner first began to appear c.  1840 . By 1890 this movement was already in decline. The Hague 's Peace Palace completed in 1913, in a heavy French Neo-Renaissance manner was one of the last notable buildings in this style. Charles Barry introduced

4550-634: The July 4 holidays, as well as the American hostage crisis of 1980, and was lit continuously following the September 11 attacks in 2001 until around 2006. During the Christmas holidays, a design of a Christmas tree was used, and at times, the letters "UTEP" were used to support University of Texas at El Paso athletics. The tower is now only lit during the holiday months, or when special events take place in

4680-665: The Las Cruces, New Mexico metropolitan area by the United States Census Bureau. El Paso has a hot desert climate ( Köppen BWh ) featuring hot summers, with little humidity, and cool to mild, dry winters. Rainfall averages 8.8 in (220 mm) per year, much of which occurs from June through September, and is predominantly caused by the North American Monsoon . During this period, southerly and southeasterly winds carry moisture from

4810-526: The National Weather Service ; from this, the city is nicknamed "The Sun City". Due to its arid, windy climate, El Paso often experiences sand and dust storms during the dry season, particularly during the springtime between March and early May. With an average wind speed often exceeding 30 mph (50 km/h) and gusts that have been measured at over 75 mph (120 km/h), these wind storms kick up large amounts of sand and dust from

4940-793: The Palais Leuchtenberg (1817–21), by Leo von Klenze , then adopted as a state style under the reign of Ludwig I of Bavaria for such landmarks as the Alte Pinakothek (1826–36), the Konigbau wing of the Munich Residenz (1825–35), and the Bavarian State Library (1831–43). While the beginning of Neo-Renaissance period can be defined by its simplicity and severity, what came later was far more ornate in its design. This period can be defined by some of

5070-551: The USGS El Paso's second-tallest building, the Wells Fargo Plaza, was built in the early 1970s as State National Plaza. The black-windowed, 302-foot (92 m) building is famous for its 13 white horizontal lights (18 lights per row on the east and west sides of the building, and seven bulbs per row on the north and south sides) that were lit at night. The tower did use a design of the United States flag during

5200-539: The 1850s contributed to shifting "the attention of scholars and designers, with their awareness heightened by debate and restoration work" from Late Neoclassicism and Gothic Revival to the Italian Renaissance. Like all architectural styles, the Neo-Renaissance did not appear overnight fully formed but evolved slowly. One of the first signs of its emergence was the Würzburg Women's Prison, which

5330-439: The 1950s and 1960s. It is one of the more ethnically diverse areas in the city due to the concentration of military families. The Northeast has not developed as rapidly as other areas, such as east El Paso and northwest El Paso, but its development is steadily increasing. The population is expected to grow more rapidly as a result of the troop increase at Ft. Bliss in the coming years. The area has also gained recognition throughout

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5460-607: The American architect Henry Hobson Richardson whose work in the Neo-Renaissance style was popular in the US during the 1880s. Richardson's style at the end or the revival era was a severe mix of both Romanesque and Renaissance features. This was exemplified by his "Marshall Field Warehouse" in Chicago (completed in 1887, now demolished). Neo-Renaissance was adopted early in Munich , often based directly on Italian Palazzi, first appearing in

5590-599: The Bachechi family, including the KiMo Theater , which put most of Albuquerque's theaters under the same ownership. By 1952, the chain, Albuquerque Exhibitors, controlled 10 local theaters and had 170 employees. The company leased its theaters in 1956 to the Texas-based Frontier Theaters chain, which was taken over by Commonwealth Theaters in 1967. Commonwealth chose not to renew its lease on

5720-539: The Chamber of Commerce building along the procession route in El Paso. Burnham and Moore captured, disarmed, and arrested the assassin within only a few feet of Taft and Díaz. By 1910, an overwhelming number of people in the city were Americans, creating a settled environment, but this period was short-lived as the Mexican Revolution greatly impacted the city, bringing an influx of refugees—and capital—to

5850-590: The Civil War's conclusion, the town's population began to grow as white Texans continued to move into the villages and soon became the majority. El Paso itself, incorporated in 1873, encompassed the small area of communities that had developed along the river. In the 1870s, a population of 23 non-Hispanic Whites and 150 Hispanics was reported. With the arrival of the Southern Pacific , Texas and Pacific , and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads in 1881,

5980-539: The Doge's Palace. Paris is home to many historicist buildings that partake equally from Renaissance and Baroque source material, such as the Opera Garnier . However, the Parisian Hôtel de Ville faithfully replicates the true French Renaissance style, complete with the steeply pitched roofs and towers, as it was a reconstruction, completed c.  1880 , of the previous Hôtel de Ville . In

6110-886: The German version of Neo-Renaissance culminated in such projects as the Town Hall in Hamburg (1886–1897) and the Reichstag in Berlin (completed in 1894). In Austria, it was pioneered by such illustrious names as Rudolf Eitelberger , the founder of the Viennese College of Arts and Crafts (today the University of Applied Arts Vienna ). The style found particular favour in Vienna , where whole streets and blocks were built in

6240-492: The London Foreign Office in this style between 1860 and 1875, it also incorporated certain Palladian features. Starting with the orangery of Sanssouci (1851), "the Neo-Renaissance became the obligatory style for university and public buildings, for banks and financial institutions, and for the urban villas" in Germany. Among the most accomplished examples of the style were Villa Meyer in Dresden, Villa Haas in Hesse , Palais Borsig in Berlin , Villa Meissner in Leipzig ;

6370-466: The Medical Center of the Americas, the only medical research and care provider complex in West Texas and Southern New Mexico, and the University of Texas at El Paso , the city's primary university. The city hosts the annual Sun Bowl college football postseason game, the second-oldest bowl game in the country. El Paso has a strong federal and military presence. William Beaumont Army Medical Center , Biggs Army Airfield , and Fort Bliss are located in

6500-413: The Mexican Revolution, a widely popular Mexican revolutionary leader, Doroteo Arango (also known as Francisco "Pancho" Villa ), owned and resided in this area during the 1910s. During the 1910 Mexican Revolution many Mexicans fled Mexico and settled in Sunset Heights. This part of town is located north of central El Paso and east of the Franklin Mountains. Development of the area was extensive during

6630-413: The Mexican side. The present New Mexico–Texas boundary placing El Paso on the Texas side was drawn in the Compromise of 1850 . El Paso remained the largest settlement in New Mexico as part of the Republic of Mexico until its cession to the U.S. in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo specified the border was to run north of El Paso De Norte around the Ciudad Juárez Cathedral which became part of

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6760-441: The National Catholic Welfare Fund. In 1916, the Census Bureau reported El Paso's population as 53% Mexican and 44% Non-Hispanic whites. Mining and other industries gradually developed in the area. The El Paso and Northeastern Railway was chartered in 1897, to help extract the natural resources of surrounding areas, especially in southeastern New Mexico Territory. The 1920s and 1930s had the emergence of major business development in

6890-575: The Neo-Renaissance to England with his design of the Travellers Club , Pall Mall (1829–1832). Other early but typical, domestic examples of the Neo-Renaissance include Mentmore Towers and the Château de Ferrières , both designed in the 1850s by Joseph Paxton for members of the Rothschild banking family. The style is characterized by original Renaissance motifs , taken from such Quattrocento architects as Alberti . These motifs included rusticated masonry and quoins , windows framed by architraves and doors crowned by pediments and entablatures . If

7020-422: The Pacific, the Gulf of California , and the Gulf of Mexico into the region. When this moisture moves into the El Paso area and places to the southwest, orographic lift from the mountains, combined with strong daytime heating, causes thunderstorms , some severe enough to produce flash flooding and hail, across the region. The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83% of daylight hours, according to

7150-425: The Rio Grande where they visited the land that is present-day New Mexico in 1581–1582. The expedition was led by Francisco Sánchez, called "El Chamuscado", and Fray Agustín Rodríguez, the first Spaniards known to have walked along the Rio Grande and visited the Pueblo Indians since Francisco Vásquez de Coronado 40 years earlier. Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate was born in 1550 in Zacatecas, Zacatecas , Mexico, and

7280-404: The Sunshine Building was constructed with blank walls on two sides to accommodate neighboring structures. By the time of the 1980s Festival Marketplace controversy, the building was the only structure left on the block and its detractors criticized the "not so handsome" wall greeting traffic entering Downtown. In 2001, the Century Theatres Downtown building was built next to the Sunshine, obscuring

7410-406: The Sunshine when the original lease expired in 1974, citing a lack of customers, and the theater stopped showing first-run films. Later it switched to classic 1930s and 1940s movies, then Spanish-language films. In 1983, the Sunshine Building was proposed for demolition in order to build a 12-acre (4.9 ha) "Festival Marketplace" development. Supporters of the project believed it would revitalize

7540-413: The ambitions of wealthy Americans in equaling and surpassing the ostentatious lifestyles of European aristocrats. During the latter half of the 19th century 5th Avenue in New York City was lined with "Renaissance" French chateaux and Italian palazzi , all designed in Neo-Renaissance styles. Most of these have since been demolished. One of the most widely copied features of Renaissance architecture were

7670-408: The area. Also headquartered in El Paso is the Drug Enforcement Administration domestic field division 7, El Paso Intelligence Center , Joint Task Force North , United States Border Patrol El Paso Sector, and U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations Group. El Paso is a five-time All-America City Award winner, winning in 1969, 2010, 2018, 2020, and 2021, and Congressional Quarterly ranked it in

7800-414: The area. Historic districts Kern Place and Sunset Heights are in this part of town. Kern Place was founded in 1914 by Peter E. Kern , for whom the neighborhood was named. The homes of Kern Place are unique in architecture and some were built by residents themselves. One of the better known homes is the Paul Luckett Home located at 1201 Cincinnati Ave. above Madeline Park, and is made of local rock. It

7930-460: The beginning of the 20th century, Neo-Renaissance was a commonplace sight on the main streets of thousands of towns, large and small, around the world. In southern Europe the Neo-Renaissance style began to fall from favour c.  1900 . However, it was still extensively practiced in the 1910s in Saint Petersburg and Buenos Aires by such architects as Leon Benois , Marian Peretyatkovich , or Francisco Tamburini ( picture ). In England it

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8060-412: The blank walls. The building has ground-floor commercial space and five floors of offices wrapped around the central theater space. In its original configuration, the theater had 800 orchestra seats and 400 balcony seats, though most of the seating was removed when it was converted for live music use. The proscenium arch is 27 feet (8.2 m) wide by 24 feet (7.3 m) high, and the fly gallery has

8190-635: The breadth of its source material, such as the English Wollaton Hall , Italian Palazzo Pitti , the French Château de Chambord , and the Russian Palace of Facets —all deemed "Renaissance"—illustrates the variety of appearances the same architectural label can take. The origin of Renaissance architecture is generally accredited to Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446). Brunelleschi and his contemporaries wished to bring greater "order" to architecture, resulting in strong symmetry and careful proportion. The movement grew from scientific observations of nature, in particular, human anatomy. Neo-Renaissance architecture

8320-628: The bustling boom town. Spanish-language newspapers, theaters, movie houses, and schools were established, many supported by a thriving Mexican refugee middle class. Large numbers of clerics, intellectuals, and businessmen took refuge in the city, particularly between 1913 and 1915. Ultimately, the violence of the Mexican Revolution followed the large Mexican diaspora, who had fled to El Paso. In 1915 and again in 1916 and 1917, various Mexican revolutionary societies planned, staged, and launched violent attacks against both Texans and their political Mexican opponents in El Paso. This state of affairs eventually led to

8450-427: The city for the outstanding high-school athletic programs at Andress High School , Parkland High School , Irvin High School , and Chapin High School . In May 2021 a major developer announced plans for a Master Planned Community in the Northeast modeled after Scarborough's Sunfield Master Planned Community in Buda, Texas. The first phase of the development is to include about 2,500 homes, 10-acre park, walking trails,

8580-571: The city to be without water for several days. Monthly means range from 46.1 °F (7.8 °C) in December to 84.4 °F (29.1 °C) in July, but high temperatures typically peak in June before the monsoon arrives, while daily low temperatures typically peak in July or early August with the higher humidity the monsoon brings (translating to warmer nights). On average, 42 night lows are at or below freezing, with 118 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs and 28 days of 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs annually; extremely rarely do temperatures stay below

8710-453: The city was barely beginning. Today, central El Paso has grown into the center of the city's economy and a thriving urban community. It contains numerous historic sites and landmarks, mostly in the Sunset Heights district. It is close to the El Paso International Airport, the international border, and Fort Bliss. It is part of the El Paso Independent School District . Dr. James Day, an El Paso historian, said that downtown's main business area

8840-440: The city's growth. Additionally, the departure of the region's rural population, which was mostly non-Hispanic White, to cities like El Paso, brought a short-term burst of capital and labor, but this was balanced by additional departures of middle-class Americans to other parts of the country that offered new and better-paying jobs. In turn, local businesses looked south to the opportunities afforded by cheap Mexican labor. Furthermore,

8970-431: The city, partially enabled by Prohibition-era bootlegging. The military demobilization, and agricultural economic depression, which hit places like El Paso first before the larger Great Depression was felt in the big cities, though, hit the city hard. In turn, as in the rest of the United States, the Depression era overall hit the city hard, and El Paso's population declined through the end of World War II, with most of

9100-421: The city, the B at 200 West Central and the Lyric at 312 West Central, but planned an even larger one for his new building along with five floors of offices. The building was constructed on the former site of the White Elephant building, a two-story adobe structure dating to 1881 which once housed a popular gambling hall and saloon. The Sunshine Building was designed by the El Paso firm of Trost & Trost , which

9230-453: The city. This part of town contains some of the city's oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Located in the heart of the city, it is home to about 44,993 people. Development of the area started in 1827 with the first resident, Juan Maria Ponce de Leon, a wealthy merchant from Paso del Norte (present-day Ciudad Juárez), who built the region's first structure establishing Rancho Ponce within the vicinity of S. El Paso Street and Paisano Dr. when

9360-587: The classical method, where the façade was conceived as a unit." Konstantin Thon , the most popular Russian architect of the time, used Italianate elements profusely for decorating some interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace (1837–1851). Another fashionable architect, Andrei Stackenschneider , was responsible for Mariinsky Palace (1839–1844), with "the faceted rough-hewn stone of the first floor" reminiscent of 16th-century Italian palazzi. The style

9490-537: The desert, causing loss of visibility. El Paso and the nearby mountains also receive snow. Weather systems have produced over 1 ft (30 cm) of snow on several occasions. In the 1982–1983 winter season, three major snowstorms produced record seasonal snowfall. On December 25–26, 1982, 6.0 in (15 cm) of snow fell, producing a white Christmas for the city. This was followed by another 7.0 in (18 cm) on December 30–31, 1982. On April 4–7, 1983, 16.5 in (42 cm) of snow fell on El Paso, bringing

9620-471: The exterior highly visible shell, and others—the artisans—who decorated and arranged the interior. The original Italian mannerist house was a place for relaxation and entertaining, convenience and comfort of the interior being a priority; in the later Baroque designs, comfort and interior design were secondary to outward appearance. This was followed by the Neoclassical period, which gave importance to

9750-482: The exterior of this location, as the fictional office of the US Marshals' Witness Protection Service. The Sunshine Building was built in 1923–24 by Joseph Barnett (1866–1954), an Italian-American businessman who arrived in Albuquerque penniless in 1896 and worked his way up through the saloon and theater business to become one of the city's largest property owners. By the 1920s, Barnett already owned two theaters in

9880-407: The features were Mexican: low, flat adobe buildings, shading cottonwoods under which dusky, smoking women and swarthy children sold fruit, vegetables, and bread; habitual gambling universal, from the boys' game of pitching quartillas (three-cent coins) to the great saloons where huge piles of silver dollars were staked at monte. In this little village, a hundred thousand dollars often changed hands in

10010-502: The first "picture windows", but also the blending of architectural styles allowed interiors and exteriors to be treated differently. It was at this time that the concept of "furnishing styles" manifested itself, allowing distinctions to be made between interior rooms and external appearances, and indeed between the various rooms themselves. Thus the modern concept of treating a room individually, and differently from its setting and neighbours, came into its infancy. Classic examples of this are

10140-593: The form of immigration controls to prevent disease, allegedly was abused to create nonconsensual pornographic images of women distributed in local bars. These rumors along with the perceived hazard from kerosene baths led to the 1917 Bath riots . As a result of the increased segregation, the Catholic Church attempted to garner the Mexican-American community's allegiance through education and political and civic involvement organizations, including

10270-461: The freezing mark all day. The city's record high is 114 °F (46 °C) on June 30, 1994, and its record low is −8 °F (−22 °C) on January 11, 1962; the highest daily minimum was 85 °F (29 °C) on July 1 and 3, 1994, with weather records for the area maintained by the National Weather Service since 1879. Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as " Neo-Renaissance ")

10400-622: The great Rothschild house in Buckinghamshire , hybrids of various Renaissance chateaux , and 16th century English country houses , all with interiors ranging from "Versailles" to " Medici ", and in the case of Mentmore Towers a huge central hall, resembling the arcaded courtyard of a Renaissance villa, conveniently glazed over, furnished in Venetian style and heated by a fireplace designed by Rubens for his house in Antwerp By

10530-601: The great opera houses of Europe, such as Gottfried Semper 's Burgtheater in Vienna, and his Opera house in Dresden . This ornate form of the Neo-Renaissance, originating from France, is sometimes known as the "Second Empire" style, by now it also incorporated some Baroque elements. By 1875 it had become the accepted style in Europe for all public and bureaucratic buildings. In England, where Sir George Gilbert Scott designed

10660-541: The great staircases from the chateaux of Blois and Chambord . Blois had been the favourite residence of the French Kings throughout the renaissance. The Francis I wing, completed in 1524, of which the staircase is an integral part was one of the earliest examples of French Renaissance . French renaissance architecture was a combination of the earlier Gothic style coupled with a strong Italian influence represented by arches, arcades, balustrading and, in general,

10790-557: The interior of their palace church (1909–1916) near Moscow to be decorated in strict imitation of the 16th-century Venetian churches. The style spread to North America , where it became a favourite domestic architectural style of the wealthiest Americans. The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island , was a residence of the Vanderbilt family designed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1892; it and contemporaneous Gilded Age mansions exemplify

10920-750: The intersection of three states (Chihuahua, New Mexico, and Texas) and two countries (Mexico and the U.S.). It is the only major Texas city in the Mountain Time Zone . Ciudad Juarez was once in the Central Time Zone , but both cities are now on Mountain Time. El Paso is closer to the capital cities of four other states: Phoenix, Arizona (430 miles (690 km) away); Santa Fe, New Mexico (273 miles (439 km) away); Ciudad Chihuahua , Chihuahua, (218 miles (351 km) away), and Hermosillo , Sonora (325 miles (523 km) away) —than it

11050-485: The mid 19th century understood them as part of a continuum, often simply called 'Italian', and freely combined them all, as well as Renaissance as it was first practiced in other countries. Thus Italian, French and Flemish Renaissance coupled with the amount of borrowing from these later periods can cause great difficulty and argument in correctly identifying various forms of 19th-century architecture. Differentiating some forms of French Neo-Renaissance buildings from those of

11180-459: The mid 19th century, it often materialized not just in its original form first seen in Italy, but as a hybrid of all its forms according to the whims of architects and patrons, an approach typical of the mid and late 19th century. Modern scholarship defines the styles following the Renaissance as Mannerist and Baroque , two very different, even opposing styles of architecture , but the architects of

11310-481: The mid- and later 19th century: "Neo-Renaissance" might be applied by contemporaries to structures that others called " Italianate ", or when many French Baroque features are present ( Second Empire ). The divergent forms of Renaissance architecture in different parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy , has added to the difficulty of defining and recognizing Neo-Renaissance architecture. A comparison between

11440-600: The mostly vacant area around First and Central, while preservationists opposed the demolition and organized a "Save the Sunshine" committee. The debate was reported in the National Trust for Historic Preservation 's national Preservation News publication in 1984. Ultimately, the project was abandoned. In 1990, the Sunshine Theater was converted into a live music venue. One of the first acts to perform there

11570-459: The north and dividing the city into several sections along with Fort Bliss and El Paso International Airport . The Rio Grande Rift , which passes around the southern end of the Franklin Mountains, is where the Rio Grande flows. The river defines the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to the south and west until the river turns north of the border with Mexico, separating El Paso from Doña Ana County, New Mexico . Mt. Cristo Rey , an example of

11700-666: The north and nearly divide the city into two sections; the west side forms the beginnings of the Mesilla Valley , and the east side expands into the desert and lower valley. They connect in the central business district at the southern end of the mountain range. The city's elevation is 3,740 ft (1,140 m) above sea level. North Franklin Mountain is the highest peak in the city at 7,192 ft (2,192 m) above sea level. The peak can be seen from 60 mi (100 km) in all directions. Additionally, this mountain range

11830-428: The north side of town". The area is located north of Interstate 10, east of Airway Blvd., and south of Montana Ave. It is the largest and fastest growing area of town with a population over 200,000. It includes the 79936 ZIP Code, which was considered in 2013 as the most populous in the nation with over 114,000 people. Formerly known as the lower valley, it includes part of Eastside and all lower valley districts. It

11960-469: The northward-bound Spanish conquistadors crossed large sand dunes about 27 miles south of present-day downtown El Paso. The expeditionaries and their horses reportedly ran toward the river, and two horses drank themselves to death. Don Juan de Oñate , a New Spain-born conquistador of Spanish parents, was an expedition leader who ordered a big feast north of the Río Grande in what is now San Elizario. This

12090-671: The nucleus of Anglo-American and Hispanic settlement within the limits of modern-day El Paso, in 1844: the Republic of Texas, which claimed the area, wanted a chunk of the Santa Fe trade. During the Mexican–American War , the Battle of El Bracito was fought nearby on Christmas Day, 1846. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo effectively made the settlements on the north bank of the river part of the US, separate from Old El Paso del Norte on

12220-538: The one at the Warsaw University of Technology designed by Bronisław Rogóyski and Stefan Szyller (late 19th century), both rise from pastiches of true Renaissance courtyards. Both staircases seem more akin to Balthasar Neumann 's great Baroque staircase at the Würzburg Residenz than anything found in a true Renaissance Palazzo. The apparent Baroque style staircase at Mentmore is not without

12350-585: The period from 1942 to 1956 had the bracero program , which brought cheap Mexican labor into the rural area to replace the losses of the non-Hispanic White population. In turn, seeking better-paying jobs, these migrants also moved to El Paso. By 1965, Hispanics once again were a majority. Meanwhile, the postwar expansion slowed again in the 1960s, but the city continued to grow with the annexation of surrounding neighborhoods and in large part because of its significant economic relationship with Mexico. The Farah Strike , 1972–1974, occurred in El Paso, Texas. This strike

12480-535: The period of transition from the Gothic to the Renaissance style; and also as Renaissance−era design took the form of the addition of Renaissance ornamentation to Gothic−era buildings thus creating an accretion of details from disparate sources. Architects who designed in the Renaissance Revival style usually avoided any references to Gothic Revival architecture, drawing instead on a variety of other classically based styles. However, there are exceptions and occasionally

12610-410: The population boomed to 10,000 by the 1890 census, with many Anglo-Americans, recent immigrants, old Hispanic settlers, and recent arrivals from Mexico. The location of El Paso and the arrival of these more wild newcomers caused the city to become a violent and wild boomtown known as the "Six-shooter Capital" because of its lawlessness. Indeed, prostitution and gambling flourished until World War I when

12740-476: The population losses coming from the non-Hispanic White community. Nonetheless, they remained the majority to the 1940s. During and following the war, military expansion in the area, as well as oil discoveries in the Permian Basin , helped to engender rapid economic expansion in the mid-1900s. Copper smelting, oil refining, and the proliferation of low-wage industries (particularly garment making) led to

12870-484: The property, hiring Anson Mills to survey and lay out the town, thus forming the current street plan of downtown El Paso. In Beyond the Mississippi (1867), Albert D. Richardson , traveling to California via coach, described El Paso as he found it in late 1859: The Texan town of El Paso had four hundred inhabitants, chiefly Mexicans. Its businessmen were Americans, but Spanish was the prevailing language. All

13000-428: The proportions and dignity of interiors, but still lost the comfort and internal convenience of the mannerist period. It was during the Neo-Renaissance period of the 19th century that the mannerist comforts were re-discovered and taken a step further. Not only did the improved building techniques of the 1850s allow the glazing of formerly open loggias and arches with the newly invented sheets of plate glass, providing

13130-541: The region were maize farmers. When the Spanish arrived, the Manso , Suma , and Jumano tribes populated the area. These were subsequently incorporated into the mestizo culture, along with immigrants from central Mexico, captives from Comanchería , and genízaros of various ethnic groups. The Mescalero Apache were also present. The Chamuscado and Rodríguez Expedition trekked through present-day El Paso and forded

13260-573: The region, as the American population was small, not more than 10% of the population. However, the region was claimed by Texas as part of the treaty signed with Mexico and numerous attempts were made by Texas to bolster these claims, but the villages that consisted of what is now El Paso and the surrounding area remained essentially a self-governed community with both representatives of the Mexican and Texan governments negotiating for control until Texas irrevocably took control in 1846. During this interregnum, 1836–1848, Americans nonetheless continued to settle

13390-467: The region. As early as the mid-1840s, alongside long extant Hispanic settlements such as the Rancho de Juan María Ponce de León, Anglo-American settlers such as Simeon Hart and Hugh Stephenson had established thriving communities of American settlers owing allegiance to Texas. Stephenson, who had married into the local Hispanic aristocracy, established the Rancho de San José de la Concordia, which became

13520-630: The river traces a shining pathway. Across it appears the flat roofs and cathedral towers of the old Mexican El Paso; still further, dim misty mountains melt into the blue sky. During the Civil War , Confederate military forces were in the area until it was captured by the Union California Column in August 1862. It was then headquarters for the 5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry from August 1863 until December 1864. After

13650-488: The route ' or ' the pass ' ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas , United States. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the U.S. , the most populous city in West Texas , and the sixth-most populous city in Texas . Its metropolitan statistical area covers all of El Paso and Hudspeth counties in Texas, and had

13780-453: The seasonal total to nearly 30 in (76 cm). On December 13–14, 1987, a record storm dumped over 22 in (56 cm) of snow on El Paso, and two weeks later (December 25–26), another 3 in (7.6 cm) fell, bringing the monthly total for December 1987 to an all-time record high of 25.9 in (66 cm) of snow. The average annual snowfall for the city varies widely between different neighborhoods at different elevations, but

13910-418: The settlement of Franklin, which became the nucleus of the future El Paso, Texas; after the army left in 1851, the rancho went into default and was repossessed; in 1852, a post office was established on the rancho bearing the name El Paso as an example of cross-border town naming until El Paso del Norte was renamed Juarez in 1888. After changing hands twice more, the El Paso company was set up in 1859 and bought

14040-570: The so-called Neo-Renaissance style, in reality, a classicizing conglomeration of elements liberally borrowed from different historical periods. Neo-Renaissance was also the favourite style in Kingdom of Hungary in the 1870s and 1880s. In the fast-growing capital, Budapest many monumental public buildings were built in Neo-Renaissance style like Saint Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian State Opera House . Andrássy Avenue

14170-510: The southwest" and was considered Albuquerque's first movie palace . The Albuquerque Journal reported that the opening was a "grand success" with the theater filled to capacity for multiple showings. The theater was equipped for both films and live performances, including the traveling Vaudeville shows that were popular in the 1920s. The building also contained 73 office rooms on the upper stories and five ground-floor commercial spaces. In 1935, Barnett merged his theater interests with those of

14300-528: The state of Chihuahua. El Paso County was established in March 1850, with San Elizario as the first county seat. The United States Senate fixed a boundary between Texas and New Mexico at the 32nd parallel, thus largely ignoring history and topography. A military post called the "Post opposite El Paso" (meaning opposite El Paso del Norte, across the Rio Grande) was established in 1849 on Coons' Rancho beside

14430-540: The top-three safest large cities in the United States between 1997 and 2014, including holding the title of the safest city between 2011 and 2014. El Paso is also the second-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States (after San Antonio ), with 81% of its residents being Hispanic . The El Paso region has had human settlement for thousands of years, as evidenced by Folsom points from hunter-gatherers found at Hueco Tanks . This suggests 10,000 to 12,000 years of human habitation. The earliest known cultures in

14560-472: The two distinct styles are mixed. The sub-variety of Gothic design most frequently employed is floral Venetian Gothic , as seen in the Doge's Palace courtyard, built in the 1480s. A common Baroque feature introduced into the Renaissance Revival styles was the "imperial staircase" (a single straight flight dividing into two separate flights). The staircase at Mentmore Towers designed by Joseph Paxton, and

14690-450: The vast Plan de San Diego , which resulted in the murder of 21 American citizens. The subsequent reprisals by a local militia soon caused an escalation of violence, wherein an estimated 300 Mexicans and Mexican-Americans lost their lives. These actions affected almost every resident of the entire Rio Grande Valley, resulting in millions of dollars of losses; the result of the Plan of San Diego

14820-408: Was Soundgarden (mistakenly identified as "Sound Garden" in the local press) on February 14, 1990. The theater has remained one of Albuquerque's most popular mid-size concert venues and continues to host live music as of 2023. The Sunshine Building is a six-story, concrete-framed structure at the southeast corner of Second Street and Central Avenue . The building is 85 feet (26 m) tall and has

14950-477: Was 1 °F (−17 °C), breaking the 5 °F (−15 °C) monthly record low set during the cold wave of 1899 . Loss of desert vegetation, such as Mexican/California palm trees, oleanders, and iceplants to the cold weather was one of the results. Two local power plants failed, forcing El Paso Electric to institute rolling blackouts over several days, and electric wires were broken, causing localized blackouts. Many water utility pipes froze, causing areas of

15080-582: Was also responsible for several other buildings in the immediate area including the Rosenwald Building , Occidental Life Building , and First National Bank Building . The Sunshine Theater opened on May 1, 1924, with a showing of the Ramón Novarro film Scaramouche . With a seating capacity of 1,200, central heating and cooling, and fireproof reinforced concrete construction, it was advertised as "the most modern and beautiful theater in

15210-487: Was carried out using traditional French Gothic styles but with ornament in the forms of pediments, arcades, shallow pilasters and entablatures from the Italian Renaissance . In England , the Renaissance tended to manifest itself in large square tall houses such as Longleat House (1568–1580). Often these buildings had symmetrical towers which hint at the evolution from medieval fortified architecture. This

15340-407: Was erected in 1809 designed by Peter Speeth . It included a heavily rusticated ground floor, alleviated by one semicircular arch, with a curious Egyptian style miniature portico above, high above this were a sequence of six tall arched windows and above these just beneath the slightly projecting roof were the small windows of the upper floor. This building foreshadows similar effects in the work of

15470-524: Was founded on the south bank of the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande), in 1659 by Fray Garcia de San Francisco . In 1680, the small village of El Paso became the temporary base for Spanish governance of the territory of New Mexico as a result of the Pueblo Revolt , until 1692, when Santa Fe was reconquered and once again became the capital. The Texas Revolution (1836) was generally not felt in

15600-626: Was further elaborated by architects of the Vladimir Palace (1867–1872) and culminated in the Stieglitz Museum (1885–1896). In Moscow , the Neo-Renaissance was less prevalent than in the Northern capital, although interiors of the neo-Muscovite City Duma (1890–1892) were executed with emphasis on Florentine and Venetian décor. While the Neo-Renaissance is associated primarily with secular buildings, Princes Yusupov commissioned

15730-445: Was in fact a truly internal feature. Further and more adventurous use of glass also enabled the open and arcaded Renaissance courtyards to be reproduced as lofty halls with glazed roofs. This was a feature at Mentmore Towers and on a far larger scale at the Warsaw University of Technology , where the large glazed court contained a monumental staircase. The "Warsaw University of Technology staircase", though if Renaissance in spirit at all,

15860-639: Was located south of Second Avenue and west of Santa Fe Street. Several African Americans and around 300 Chinese Americans also lived in Chihuahuita. Many of the Chinese Americans participated in the building of railroads in the El Paso area. Another downtown neighborhood is El Segundo Barrio , which is near the Mexico–U.S. border. Better known as West El Paso or the West Side, the area includes

15990-418: Was long-standing enmity between the two ethnic groups. Simultaneously, other Texans and Americans gravitated to the city, and by 1920, along with the U.S. Army troops, the population exceeded 100,000, and non-Hispanic Whites once again were in the clear majority. Nonetheless, the city increased the segregation between Mexicans and Mexican-Americans with non-Hispanic Whites. One prominent form of segregation, in

16120-526: Was originally centered between Second Avenue (now Paisano Drive) and San Francisco Avenue. At a later point, the main business area was centered around Stanton Street and Santa Fe Street. In the late 1800s, most of the White American residents lived to the north of the non-White areas, living in brick residences along Magoffin, Myrtle, and San Antonio Avenues. Hispanic-American residents lived in an area called Chihuahuita ("little Chihuahua "), which

16250-549: Was originated and led by Chicanas, or Mexican-American women, against the Farah Manufacturing Company, due to complaints against the company inadequately compensating workers. Texas Monthly described the Farah Strike as the "strike of the century". On August 3, 2019, a terrorist shooter espousing white supremacy killed 23 people at a Walmart and injured 22 others. El Paso is located at

16380-429: Was so common that today one finds "Renaissance Italian Palazzi" serving as banks or municipal buildings in the centres of even the smallest towns. It has been said " It is a well-known fact that the nineteenth century had no art style of its own. " While to an extent this may be true, the same could be said of most eras until the early 20th century, the Neo-Renaissance in the hands of provincial architects did develop into

16510-399: Was the damaging winter storm of early February 2011, which caused closures of schools, businesses, and City Hall. The snow, which was light, stopped after about a day, but during the ensuing cold episode, municipal utilities went into a crisis. The high temperature on February 2, 2011, was 15 °F (−9 °C), the lowest daily maximum on record. In addition, the low temperature on February 3

16640-578: Was the first New Spain (Mexico) explorer known to have rested and stayed 10 days by the Rio Grande near El Paso, in 1598, celebrating a Thanksgiving Mass there on April 30, 1598. Four survivors of the Narváez expedition , Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca , Alonso del Castillo Maldonado , Andrés Dorantes de Carranza , and a Moor that was enslaved Estevanico , are thought to have crossed the Rio Grande into present-day Mexico about 75 miles south of El Paso in 1535. El Paso del Norte (present-day Ciudad Juárez )

16770-480: Was the first documented and true Thanksgiving in North America. Oñate declared la Toma (taking possession), claiming all territory north of the Río Grande for King Philip II of Spain . Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo (related to the insurgent Isleta Pueblo Tribe) is also located in this valley. The Tigua is one of three Indian tribes in Texas whose sovereignty is recognized by the United States government. Ysleta

16900-431: Was to become one of the features of Neo-Renaissance design. It became a common feature for the staircase to be not just a feature of the internal architecture but also the external. But whereas at Blois the stairs had been open to the elements in the 19th century new and innovative use of glass was able to give protection from the weather, giving the staircase the appearance of being in the true renaissance open style, when it

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