Some of the most interesting architecture in El Paso is from the mind of S.E. Patton, and here we find another example of an interesting Patton design. Patton came to El Paso from Phoenix, where he was known as the designer and owner of the 1898 Patton Opera House, a Queen Anne icon that was, unfortunately, demolished in 1985. Patton moved to the Sun City less than two years after he built the Opera House. A tragic event called "The Great Gilmore Massacre" took place at the theater while he was owner, and the heartbroken Patton sold the property to E.M. Dorris within two weeks. The building was renamed the Dorris Opera House.
Briefly, the Great Gilmore Massacre occured when the cast of "Don Caesar" was given muskets that were supposed to be loaded with blanks. These guns were actually mistakenly loaded with live ammunition, however, and a number of the actors were injured and one, Lewis Monroe, died. The lead actor in the production, Paul Gilmore, was severely injured - and since he was famous, his name became associated with the event.
The home, located at 1500 Montana at the Langtry intersection, was erected starting January 1909 and completed later that year. It's a red brick structure built on a cut-rock foundation, and cost $6,000 to erect. The design of the front elevation is interesting to say the least, masking an otherwise Craftsman Foursquare plan. We love the diagonal corner bays and the interesting entryway. It's just . . . . Patton. It was built for Walter Foxworth, the VP and (we believe) part owner of the Galbraith Foxworth Company, a large and successful Lumber and Building Materials company that had many stores throughout the southwest. In period print ads, they are alternately called Foxworth/Galbraith, and Galbraith/Foxworth.
Covid keeps our team of crack photographers at home, but below we've attached some Google Earth shots of the fascinating building.
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Text and research provided to Sketchclub.net by Mark Stone, citing period newspaper articles accessed through newspapers.com.
Also citing:
-- Sierra Stewart, "Patton's Grand Theater; The Parisian Palace of Phoenix" at Salt River Stories (https://saltriverstories.org/items/show/339)
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed November 2020 |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed November 2020 |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed November 2020 |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed November 2020 |
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| This is the 1898 Patton Opera House in Phoenix, designed and owned by S.E. Patton. Photograph courtesy of Sierra Stewart, "Patton's Grand Theater; The Parisian Palace of Phoenix" at Salt River Stories (https://saltriverstories.org/items/show/339) |
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| 1/27/1909 Clipping from the El Paso Herald, accessed via newspapers.com |
