commercial buildings; Art Deco (architectural style); architects; inns, hotels, motels; communication
Marker Year
1998
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Yes
Marker Location
Courtyard Fort Worth Downtown/Blackstone, SE corner Main and E. 5th streets. Marker is inside lobby.
Private Property
No
Marker Condition
In Situ
Marker Size
RTHL medallion and plate
Marker Text
The first Art Deco skyscraper in Fort Worth, the Blackstone Hotel was erected in 1929 for wealthy cattleman C. A. "Gus" O'Keefe, who named it after a visit to the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. The St. Louis architectural firm of Mauran, Russell, and Crowell designed the structure. The city's first radio station, WBAP, once occupied the 22nd floor. A five-story annex was added in the 1950s by the Hilton Hotel chain, which occupied the building from 1952 to 1962. Featuring original sash windows, irregular setbacks, and ornamental terra cotta detailing, the Blackstone Hotel remains the city's tallest pre-World War II structure. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998
