Site Analysis | The Wilson Building

HISTORY

The Wilson Building was designed by Sanguinet & Staats Architects of Fort Worth, Texas, and was built in 1904. It was built for cattle baron J.B. Wilson and was the first eight-story building in the state. Modeled after the palatial Paris Opera House, it is designed in a French Renaissance style. The first and second floors were home to the Titch-Goettinger Department Store until the 1920s, when the H.L. Green Department Store moved into the space. H.L. Green was the main tenant for over 60 years, until the store closed in 1997. The upper levels were intended as offices for the medical profession, but the tenants diversified and the offices housed many different professions. A twelve-story addition was added on Elm Street in 1911 to accommodate more office space. The addition, commonly referred to as the Annex, was in the same style as the original building, but with less detailing. After Green's closed, the building was converted into 143 loft apartments with ground-level leasing spaces.

EXTERIOR

The main building is "E" shaped with two recessed light wells dividing the building into three "pavilions." The east facade is partitioned into seven bays by rusticated pilasters. The northeast and southeast corners are rounded and feature decorative medallions with Wilson's initials and swags above the fifth-floor windows. Belt courses divide the building horizontally into four sections with a protruding cornice above the seventh floor. The facade of the building is glazed brick with terra cotta and stone ornamentation. The ground floor is the most changed due to store remodels, but the current facade is close to the original. Plate glass windows are set behind a colonnade of Doric and Ionic columns on the Ervay Street facade, while engaged columns divide the Elm and Main Street windows.

INTERIOR

When J.B. Wilson built the structure, craftsmen from all over the country came to contribute to the building's finishes. The floors were marble, but have now been covered over in most of the building by terrazzo and hardwood floorings. The first and second floor were finished in mahogany, with enameled terra cotta columns. Most of the original office doors are still in place, including the tenants' names and businesses. Original ironwork still exists in the stairwells. The building originally contained nine elevators: two for the department store and seven for the offices tenants.

SURROUNDING STRUCTURES

The Wilson Building is located in a historic area of downtown Dallas and is surrounded by many examples of significant architecture. Directly across Main Street, to the south, is the Neiman Marcus flagship store. It is said that Neimans decided to build their opulent store at that corner in 1914 because of the Titche-Goettinger Department Store's success in the Wilson Building. Across Ervay Street, to the east, is the Comerica Bank Tower. At 787 feet tall, it is the third tallest structure in Dallas and is a main hub for banking and commerce in the downtown area. On the other side of Elm Street is Thanksgiving Tower. The Wilson Building is on the Dallas Pedestrian Network and is walking distance from many shops, restaurants, and museums.

BUILDING INFORMATION

Streets | Main Street (north), Ervay Street (east), Elm Street (south)
Total Number of Floors | 8 in main building, 12 in annex
Building Footprint | 220' x 154' (33,700 square feet)
Total Usable Square Footage | 243,946 square feet