Popular Department Store
Why it's listed
Rising seven stories with a mechanical penthouse, this white sandstone department store occupies more than half a city block at Mesa and San Antonio streets in downtown El Paso. Designed by Trost and Trost and completed around 1917, it replaced the old Masonic Building, which was bought in 1916 for $230,000 and razed. A three-bay, five-story addition in 1946 matched the original design and extended the building to eight stories; a later modern addition toward Texas Street is excluded from the nominated property. The facades follow the Chicago School pattern of base, shaft and cornice, with pilasters, cartouche and garland ornament, three-part windows and a dentilled cornice. The business began in 1902 as the Popular Dry Goods Company, founded by Adolph Schwartz, his nephew Maurice and partners. It became a major retailer, supported customers after the 1929 bank failure, and took part in civic activities. The store is described as perhaps Trost's greatest Chicago School commercial work.
Significance in brief: The form calls it perhaps Trost's greatest achievement in the Chicago School commercial format. It also records the store's role since 1902 as a major El Paso retailer founded by Adolph Schwartz and partners, and its civic activity in the community.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80004111, listed September 24, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 102 N. Mesa St., El Paso |
|---|---|
| County | El Paso County |
| Listed | September 24, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004111 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Trost and Trost |
| Architectural style | Chicago School/Sullivanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is the same as the original use, commercial retail; the building retains much of its original appearance apart from modernized street facades. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 |
| Coordinates | 31.75850, -106.48675 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80004111.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65121288
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.