Praetorian Building
Encyclopedia
The Praetorian Building, also known as Stone Place Tower, is a high-rise building located at Main Street and Stone Street in the Main Street District of downtown
Dallas
, Texas
(USA
).
The building, constructed in 1909, was the first skyscraper in Dallas and Texas and was the tallest building in the city until 1912. It is also classified as the first skyscraper to be constructed in the Southwestern United States
, and sometimes considered the first skyscraper in the entire Western United States
(depending on one's definition of "the West", this title could also go to the 1885 Lumber Exchange Building
in Minneapolis
, Minnesota
). The Praetorian Building stands 190 feet (58 meters) tall containing 15 floors of office space.
The building remained a center of business activity even as taller skyscrapers opened in following years. The building was air conditioned in 1948. The Order also requested that Stone Street, named after a Dallas Civil War hero, be changed to Praetorian Lane; this was denied by the City in 1952. The Praetorian Order transformed into the Praetorian Mutual Life Insurance Company and in 1958 announced an adjacent 15 story addition and $1.5 million face-lift for the 50 years old structure. Months later, what had been planned as a general modernization changed to a complete overhaul of the building. The width of the building along Main Street was doubled with the addition, increasing the building tract to 10000 square feet (929 m²). The historic exterior was stripped down to the steel frame and replaced with a brightly colored "Praetorian Yellow" porcelain steel exterior. The new building, opened in 1961, was designed by Grayson Gill, Inc. and contained 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) of office space.
Tandy Corp. occupied the building's basement and first two levels with the 21-department "Tandy Craft & Hobby Mart" in the 1960s, but success of the new building was short-lived. The building was sold to off-shore investors in 1970, and Praetorian Mutual Life vacated the building in 1987 for a new location in Las Colinas
. The yellow porcelain exterior was painted gray during a 1990s renovation by Corgan Associates. The structure changed hands over successive years and fell into foreclosure; by 1993 low occupancy forced the building to close. It became the 10th office building in a five-block stretch to close its doors during the a five year period of economic hardship for the downtown business district.
-based 3J Development. The company decided to remodel the tower and restore it to its original 1909 façade
. Due to financial problems the renovation was delayed and the building sold in 2007 to Lockey Capital. The building's office floors were planned to be converted into loft apartments. In 2010 the building was one of several in the Main Street District to be purchased by Timothy Headington
, successful developer of The Joule Hotel, with plans for redevelopment.
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
The building, constructed in 1909, was the first skyscraper in Dallas and Texas and was the tallest building in the city until 1912. It is also classified as the first skyscraper to be constructed in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, and sometimes considered the first skyscraper in the entire Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
(depending on one's definition of "the West", this title could also go to the 1885 Lumber Exchange Building
Lumber Exchange Building
The Lumber Exchange Building was the first skyscraper built in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and dates to 1885. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by Franklin B. Long and Frederick Kees and was billed as one of the first fireproof buildings in the country...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
). The Praetorian Building stands 190 feet (58 meters) tall containing 15 floors of office space.
History
The Praetorian Tower was conceived as the national headquarters of the Praetorian Order, a fraternal insurance company based in Dallas. The mostly empty plot of land at Main Street and Stone Street had previously hosted the circus, medicine shows and college football events. In 1905 the Order announced a six story, fireproof building capable of expanding eight additional floors. Months later, plans were changed to construction a 15 story building -- the first skyscraper in Dallas. Construction began in late 1905 and after several delays the frame of the $800,000 building was complete in 1907 and it finally opened to visitors on February 28, 1909. Designed by C.W. Bulger & Son, its unique neoclassical exterior was fitted with gray granite pillars, gold ornamentation, and terra cotta columns on a brick and steel structural frame, while the interior was finished with African mahogany, tile and marble. The building was heated by steam, featured three modern elevators of the time and contained 2 artesian wells. Each office featured electricity, telegraph and telephone connections and hot and cold running water. A rooftop observatory provided views over the growing city and up to 20 miles (32.2 km) over rural landscape.The building remained a center of business activity even as taller skyscrapers opened in following years. The building was air conditioned in 1948. The Order also requested that Stone Street, named after a Dallas Civil War hero, be changed to Praetorian Lane; this was denied by the City in 1952. The Praetorian Order transformed into the Praetorian Mutual Life Insurance Company and in 1958 announced an adjacent 15 story addition and $1.5 million face-lift for the 50 years old structure. Months later, what had been planned as a general modernization changed to a complete overhaul of the building. The width of the building along Main Street was doubled with the addition, increasing the building tract to 10000 square feet (929 m²). The historic exterior was stripped down to the steel frame and replaced with a brightly colored "Praetorian Yellow" porcelain steel exterior. The new building, opened in 1961, was designed by Grayson Gill, Inc. and contained 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) of office space.
Tandy Corp. occupied the building's basement and first two levels with the 21-department "Tandy Craft & Hobby Mart" in the 1960s, but success of the new building was short-lived. The building was sold to off-shore investors in 1970, and Praetorian Mutual Life vacated the building in 1987 for a new location in Las Colinas
Las Colinas
Las Colinas is an upscale, developed area in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas.Due to its central location between Dallas and Fort Worth and its proximity to DFW Airport, Las Colinas has been a viable place in the Metroplex for corporate and business relocation.As a planned community, it has many...
. The yellow porcelain exterior was painted gray during a 1990s renovation by Corgan Associates. The structure changed hands over successive years and fell into foreclosure; by 1993 low occupancy forced the building to close. It became the 10th office building in a five-block stretch to close its doors during the a five year period of economic hardship for the downtown business district.
Redevelopment
As the Main Street District and downtown Dallas began a revival and many surrounding buildings were rehabilitated, the Praetorian Building was also eyed for renovation. In 2005, the tower was purchased by the CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based 3J Development. The company decided to remodel the tower and restore it to its original 1909 façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. Due to financial problems the renovation was delayed and the building sold in 2007 to Lockey Capital. The building's office floors were planned to be converted into loft apartments. In 2010 the building was one of several in the Main Street District to be purchased by Timothy Headington
Timothy Headington
Timothy Headington is the CEO of Headington Oil, a film producer, and real estate developer.-Biography:Timothy Headington was born in Dallas, Texas in 1950. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma...
, successful developer of The Joule Hotel, with plans for redevelopment.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Dallas
- Wilson Building