{"nrhp_refnum":"96001015","name":"Busch-Kirby Building (Boundary Increase)","other_names":["Kirby Building","A. Harris and Co.","See Also:Busch Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1501--1509 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dallas","county":"Dallas County","state":"TX","lat":32.780561299000055,"lon":-96.79929659699997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1996-09-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A boundary extension covering three additions (1925, 1930 and about 1954) to the 17-story Busch-Kirby Building at 1501-1509 Main in downtown Dallas, Texas. The original Skyscraper Gothic building dates from 1913.","why_significant":"The additions were built for the A. Harris & Co. department store and have long functioned as part of the original building. The nomination argues they meet Criterion A for the department store and the Busch and Kirby interests, and Criterion C for Skyscraper Gothic and Art Deco design. The 1930 annex is described as a fine, largely intact small Art Deco commercial building.","narrative":"Three additions to a landmark Dallas skyscraper are covered here. The original 17-story Busch Building at Main and Akard was completed in 1913 and listed earlier, but the later wings built for the A. Harris & Co. department store were left out. A five-story Gothic-style addition on Elm Street followed in 1925, mainly to provide separate department store elevators. In 1930 the architects Lang & Witchell designed a five-story Art Deco annex on Main Street, with limestone facing, cast stone eagles, foliated spandrels and zigzag parapet trim. A nine-story, nearly windowless tower rose around 1954 and is treated as an addition rather than a contributing piece. All three depended on the original building for stairs, elevators and plumbing. The expansion is tied to A. Harris & Co., a leading North Texas retailer that occupied the building until 1965. The additions are recognized for their commercial history and for Skyscraper Gothic and Art Deco design.","period_of_significance":"1913-1946","architect_builder":"Lang & Witchell (architects, 1930 building)","architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival; Art Deco (Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals; Modern Movement)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function listed as vacant/not in use; the text says the ground floor of the 1930 annex is the only part of the 17-story building currently in use, as a reading room.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.193527-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/65/9716/40971665/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/96001015.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/96001015/1b331df549-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/96001015/1b331df549-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Joe Mabel","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dallas_-_Kirby_Building_pano_02.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_-_Kirby_Building_pano_02.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/40971665","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirby_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6414903"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/dallas-county/busch-kirby-building-boundary-increase-96001015/"}