{"nrhp_refnum":"78002915","name":"Magnolia Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"108 S. Akard St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dallas","county":"Dallas County","state":"TX","lat":32.780016706000026,"lon":-96.79909650899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-01-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Economics","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 29-story office high rise at Commerce and Akard Streets (108 South Akard) in Dallas, Texas, begun in 1921 and completed in August 1922 for the Magnolia Petroleum Company, designed by Alfred C. Bossom.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building has architectural, economic and industrial significance. It was designed by a well-known British architect, housed Magnolia (later Mobil) Oil as an early oil industry headquarters, and became a symbol of Dallas. The Pegasus sign on its roof became a regional landmark.","narrative":"Rising more than 400 feet above downtown Dallas, this 29-story office tower was begun in 1921 and opened in August 1922 for the Magnolia Petroleum Company, later Mobil. Alfred C. Bossom, a British architect working with Dallas associates Lang & Witchell, designed it with tan Indiana limestone walls, a bracketed cornice, twin front pavilions joined by an arch at the 17th story, and a tiled attic and cupola. The first two floors were covered with granite in the 1950s, but the marble and walnut lobby remains intact. In 1922 it ranked among the tallest buildings in the United States and stayed the tallest in Dallas for almost twenty years. It reflected the city's growing role in the oil industry. A large neon Pegasus sign added in 1934 became a regional landmark, visible for miles. The building was listed for its architectural, economic and industrial importance.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Alfred C. Bossom, N.Y./London; Lang & Witchell, Associate Architects, Dallas","architectural_style":"Adapted Beaux-Arts classicism applied to a 20th century high rise; described in the significance section as Renaissance revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in excellent condition and slightly altered; the first two floors were covered with granite in the 1950s. Ownership is listed as private and public, with a note that the city owned it and was considering selling it.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.619762-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/81/9716/40971681/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/78002915.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002915/8309098be3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002915/8309098be3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Joe Mabel","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Magnolia_Building_pano_01.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe Mabel</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Magnolia_Building_pano_01.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04000894","name":"Dallas Downtown Historic District (Additional Documentation)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/dallas-downtown-historic-district-additional-documentation-04000894/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971681","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_Hotel_(Dallas,_Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12061439"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/dallas-county/magnolia-building-78002915/"}