Petroleum Building
Also known as: Cosden Building
Why it's listed
Rising 14 stories at the corner of Throckmorton and Sixth streets in downtown Fort Worth, this 1927 office tower was designed by architect Wyatt C. Hedrick and financed by the Dulaney-Johnston Investment Company to house companies tied to the booming oil industry. Brick over a steel frame, it carries Gothic-inspired stone ornamentation on its two street-facing elevations, including narrow pilaster strips, shield-and-banner panels and carved owls with spread wings, while the other two sides are plain brick. For decades it held oil firms such as Gulf Oil, along with lawyers, other professionals and ground-floor shops. It later carried the names Life of America Building, Schick Building, Finevest Building and Executive Plaza Building. A 1969 modernization removed crockets, original stone and windows, but a restoration begun in 2006 returned a stone base, double-hung windows and a copper awning. It was listed for its local importance in commerce and architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance in Commerce, because the building was financed to house oil-industry tenants during Fort Worth's early twentieth-century growth. It also argues significance in Architecture as an early example of Hedrick's Commercial Gothic style, with vertical pilaster strips and stone ornamentation including owl carvings.
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). NRHP reference 100006397, listed April 21, 2021. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 111 Scurry St., Big Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Howard County |
| Listed | April 21, 2021 |
| Reference number | 100006397 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1959 |
| Architect / builder | Wyatt C. Hedrick |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Skyscraper (Commercial Gothic) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently operates as an office building; a restoration begun in 2006 reversed many of the 1969 modernization changes. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Big Spring Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.25316, -101.47849 (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 100006397.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- Wikidata Q107320961
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.