El Paisano Hotel
Also known as: El Paisano Inn
Why it's listed
Built in Marfa, Texas, El Paisano Hotel is a two-story reinforced concrete building finished in white stucco. Designed in 1928 by the El Paso firm Trost and Trost, with R.E. McKee as contractor, it was dedicated in June 1930. It was built in anticipation of an oil boom that never arrived. The U-shaped plan opens to the south, with a five-arch screen enclosing a courtyard that holds the main entrance. Spanish Baroque details, including a two-story frontispiece doorway, ball finials and cast cartouches, decorate the facades. Inside, the lobby, lounge, dining room, ballroom and coffee shop open off the courtyard. The hotel originally had seventy-two rooms. Its architecture reflects Henry Trost's blending of Prairie School ideas with Southwest regional styles. It stands near the Presidio County Courthouse and became a focal point of local life. In 1955 the cast and crew of the film Giant, including James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, stayed there. A swimming pool was the only major later addition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of the finest hotels in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and a good example of Southwest Revival and Spanish Baroque work by Henry C. Trost's firm. It also notes the hotel's role in Marfa's social and commercial life and its use as the base for the 1955 filming of Giant.
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 78002973, listed August 1, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N. Highland and W. Texas Sts., Marfa |
|---|---|
| County | Presidio County |
| Listed | August 1, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002973 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Trost and Trost Architects, El Paso, Texas; R.E. McKee, Contractor, El Paso, Texas |
| Architectural style | Spanish Baroque / Southwest Revival detailing (quasi Spanish/Southwest style) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | At the time of nomination, the hotel was being converted into condominiums, with restoration and adaptive reuse work under way. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.31324, -104.02488 (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 78002973.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5351732
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.