{"nrhp_refnum":"79002931","name":"Wilson Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1621-1623 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dallas","county":"Dallas County","state":"TX","lat":32.781428912000024,"lon":-96.79735366099999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-07-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An eight-story commercial and office building at 1621-1623 Main Street in downtown Dallas, Texas, built in 1903-04 for J. B. Wilson, with a 12-story Annex added in 1911 facing Elm Street.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an important example of early twentieth century commercial architecture in Texas and the first 8-story building in the state. It was the first large-scale retail quarters for a major Dallas store and a personal monument to financier J. B. Wilson. It combines classical detail with Chicago-style commercial design by the Fort Worth firm Sanguinet and Staats.","narrative":"Rising eight stories at Main, Elm and Ervay streets in downtown Dallas, this reinforced concrete and glazed brick building was completed in 1903-04 for rancher and financier J. B. Wilson. Fort Worth architects Sanguinet and Staats designed it as a five-story structure, but offices rented so quickly that three floors were added. It was the first eight-story building in Texas and housed the Titche-Gottinger store on its lower floors, with more than 150 offices above, many occupied by physicians. Its facade blends classical ornament, including terra cotta, carved stone, arches and cornices with dentils, with Chicago-style windows and a tripartite division. Wilson's initials appear throughout the exterior and interior decoration. A 12-story Annex followed in 1911. The ground floors have been heavily altered, but the upper facade remains largely original. It was recognized as a significant example of Dallas commercial architecture and as a monument to Wilson's business success.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific dates 1903-04)","architect_builder":"A. Watson/Sanguinet and Staats","architectural_style":"Eclectic commercial, classically inspired with Chicago style features","criteria":[],"status_note":"Lower floors house a department store, but the office floors were vacant for several years and deteriorating. Restoration plans had been prepared, but no definite plans had been made.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.189077-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/57/9716/40971657/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/79002931.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002931/1817e57649-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002931/1817e57649-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Joe Mabel","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dallas_-_Wilson_Building_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:Dallas_-_Wilson_Building_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/40971657","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Building_(Dallas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8022994"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/dallas-county/wilson-building-79002931/"}