Santa Fe Building
Why it's listed
Rising 14 stories and 188 feet above downtown Amarillo, this terra cotta and granite skyscraper was built between 1928 and 1930 at a cost of $1.5 million. Santa Fe company architect E.A. Harrison designed it, and Brennan Construction Company built it, to serve as the regional headquarters of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Its two-story base, ten-story shaft and stepped tower carry restrained Gothic Revival detailing with Moderne influences, and the original red neon Santa Fe signs still crown all four sides. From 1930 to 1989 the building served as Western Lines headquarters, directing rail traffic across several states during the Panhandle's oil and agricultural boom. It was Amarillo's first steel-frame building and remained the city's tallest until the 1970s. Its exterior and much of its interior character survive, and the building is now being converted into county offices. It is regarded as one of the best-preserved of Amarillo's few remaining 1920s skyscrapers.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be significant at the state level under Criterion A in Transportation, as the Western Lines headquarters from 1930 to 1989 that reflected the railroad's economic power in the Panhandle. It also qualifies under Criterion C in Architecture as a well-preserved 3-part vertical block skyscraper with Gothic Revival detailing and Moderne influences. It is one of Amarillo's few surviving 1920s downtown skyscrapers.
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 96000939, listed August 22, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 900 S. Polk St., Amarillo |
|---|---|
| County | Potter County |
| Listed | August 22, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000939 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-1946 |
| Architect / builder | Harrison, E.A. (architect); Brennan Construction Company (builder) |
| Architectural style | Other: 3-part vertical block; Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Little altered and immaculately maintained; being converted into offices for Potter County, with first-floor storefront windows to be restored to their original appearance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.20444, -101.83793 (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 96000939.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7419506
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.