This Is The First Skyscraper Built In El Paso

It's not exactly a huge building, and it's nowhere near the tallest building in El Paso, but it was the first "skyscraper" built here.

Most of El Paso's "skyscrapers" are downtown but there are a couple of buildings beyond downtown that are taller than the city's first one.

For example, the PNC building, (on Gateway East, across from Bassett Place), stands 2 stories taller than the 915's first 'scraper which tops out at 7.

The tallest skyscrapers downtown today dwarf the first one built in El Chuco but, in it's day, number 1 was a modern marvel.

The El Paso and Southwest Railroad office building is a seven story Romanesque Revival building standing today as the BBVA Compass Bank building. The structure is dominated by its tall, arched windows that give it an exaggerated sense of height, along with its ornately decorated arched entryways. Close inspection proves its age (113 years as of this writing) but the building is well maintained and in excellent condition. - Facebook, circa 2020

Built in 1906, it was the biggest, coolest thing El Pasoans had ever seen. It's designer, Edward Kneezell, also designed several elementary schools: Alamo (1899), Sunset and Morehead (1901) and San Jacinto. (1904)

Today though, by skyscraper standards, 7 stories is nothing. El Paso' s downtown skyline is dominated by several, much larger buildings. Here are the top 5:

WestStar Tower - 20 stories (1 story shorter than the Wells Fargo building but still EP's tallest building.)

1 San Jacinto Plaza - 20 stories

Plaza Hotel - 19 stories

Blue Flame Building & Stanton Tower - Tied at 18 stories each.

Hotel Paso Del Norte - 17 stories

To see the rest of the "EP's Tallest" list, click here. Note though that, for some reason, that list omitted the O. T. Bassett Tower.

At 15 stories, it was ... for a minute ... once El Paso's tallest.