Hall of State

Hall of State

The exterior of the Hall of State
Location Dallas, Texas
Coordinates 32°46′51″N 96°45′40″W / 32.78083°N 96.76111°W / 32.78083; -96.76111Coordinates: 32°46′51″N 96°45′40″W / 32.78083°N 96.76111°W / 32.78083; -96.76111
Built 1936
Designated 1981[1]
Reference no. 6732
Location of Hall of State in Texas
Location of Hall of State in Texas

The Hall of State (originally the State of Texas Building) is a building in Dallas's Fair Park that commemorates the history of the U.S. state of Texas and is considered one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the state. It was designed and built for the Texas Centennial Exposition.

History

Built in 1936 at the astronomical (especially during the Great Depression) price of $1.2 million, the building was the most expensive per unit area of any structure built in Texas. It was designed for the centennial of the Republic of Texas by architect Donald Barthelme[2] in the beaux arts style and is considered one of the most representative examples of art deco architecture in Texas. Most of the Art Deco ornamental metalwork, including the light fixtures were made by the John Livers Lighting company according to records from the Dallas Historical Society Centennial archives collection. The Hall of State is the culmination of the 1,500 feet (460 m) long Esplanade of State which is flanked by six exhibition pavilions and features a long reflecting pool. It was built using Texas limestone and features memorials to many of the heroes of Texas history.

Current

The Dallas Historical Society has been responsible for managing the Hall of State since 1938. The Hall of State is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of Fair Park. In 1986, the building was restored at a cost of approximately $1.5 million, and the G.B. Dealey Library was opened.

The G.B. Dealey Library, located in the East Texas room of the Hall of State, holds more than ten thousand bound volumes and three million historic documents, including Sam Houston's handwritten account of the battle of San Jacinto.

The Dallas Historical Society rents the Hall of State for events and provides guided tours to school groups.

The structure became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1981.[1]

The American Museum of the Miniature Arts is currently located at the Hall of State.

Architecture

The curved exedra at the entrance of the Hall of State
Interior Great Hall
The exterior FSG frieze of the Hall of State honors 59 Texas historical figures. Displayed here are John Reagan, Anson Jones, James Fannin, Gail Borden, William H. Wharton, Peter Bell, Jose Navarro and Elisha M. Pease.

The curved exedra at the entrance to the Hall of Texas features 76-foot (23 m) tall limestone pillars sit in front of blue tiles designed to evoke the state's flower, the bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis). In the center, above the entrance is an 11-foot (3.4 m) bronze with gold leaf statue by Allie Tennant[3] of the "Tejas Warrior": an archer holds high a bow without an arrow, meant to symbolize peace.

Inside the Hall of State is the Hall of Heroes, which features six bronze statues of James Fannin, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Thomas Jefferson Rusk and William B. Travis. There are also bronze plaques that commemorate the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Outside, a statue of Robert L. Thornton, benefactor of the State Fair of Texas and former Mayor of Dallas stands, overlooking the esplanade.

On the exterior frieze, the Hall of State commemorates 60 prominent historical figures in Texas' history:

References

  1. 1 2 "Texas Historic Sites Atlas". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Hall of State FAQs, Dallas Historical Society
  3. ↑ Hendricks, Patricia D. and Becky Duval Reese, A Century of Sculpture in Texas: 1889-1989, University of Texas, Austin, 1989 p. 45
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