Praetorian Building
| Stone Place Tower | |
|---|---|
Depiction of the Praetorian Building on a 1908 postcard
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| Alternative names | Praetorian Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 1607 Main Street Dallas, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°46′52″N 96°47′54″W / 32.781124°N 96.798301°WCoordinates: 32°46′52″N 96°47′54″W / 32.781124°N 96.798301°W |
| Construction started | 1905 |
| Completed | 1909 |
| Demolished | 2013 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 58 m (190 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 15 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Corgan Associates CW Bulger & Son |
| References | |
The Praetorian Building, also known as Stone Place Tower, was a 15-story, 58 m (190 ft) high-rise constructed in 1909 at Main Street and Stone Street in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas. It was regarded the first skyscraper in Texas and the first skyscraper in the Southwestern United States. Some consider it the first skyscraper in the entire Western United States, depending on the definition of "the West", as this title could also go to the 1885 Lumber Exchange Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota).
The Praetorian Building remained the tallest building in the city only until 1912. It was 190 feet (58 meters) tall with 15 floors of office space. Plans for its redevelopment were eventually disbanded and the building's deconstruction was completed in the summer of 2013.
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 km) over rural landscape.
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