The Lone Star Motor Company building, located on the southwest corner of Cotton & Texas, was completed in 1930 and had its plans drawn by Hugh Braunton, during a short period of time when he was associated with Percy McGhee. The building is a Commercial/Spanish eclectic blend, with a design based on the company's previous location, a smaller building which still stands at the corner of Virginia and Texas. The building cost over $200,000 to erect, a reinforced concrete and brick stuccoed edifice on a concrete foundation.
The formal opening of the building, hosted by Lone Star President and General Manager Harvey Wilcox, was held Saturday May 24, 1930. There was also a public reception the following day, because of the large amount of people that came Saturday.
Lone Star Motors, originally owned by E.G. Perry and L.J. Trotti, was founded in 1914 at 355 Myrtle. The following year, they moved to 301 West San Antonio, where the became a Dodge Brothers dealership; then, in 1918, they occupied their own building a block to the west at 415 West San Antonio. Both of their San Antonio location structures were demolished for the construction of the current Convention Center; the latter of the two locations, an architectural gem, is pictured below.
Harvey Wilcox began working for Lone Star as a young mechanic in 1914 when the company was founded, according to an interview he gave to the El Paso Times. After only two months of employment, the Vice President of the company, L.J. Trotti, gave him a surprise commission of $40.00 for selling a car to one of his friends - and Wilcox, with dollar signs in his eyes, moved immediately from the garage to the sales floor. With nearly every commission paycheck he received from then on, he purchased stock in the firm - and in 1923 he became the majority owner, naming himself President and General Manager. He remained in that position until 1938, when he passed away suddenly from Kidney disease at the age of 45.
When Wilcox gained ownership of the company, he moved it to the southwest corner of Texas and Virginia Street and struck up a relationship with General Motors that still exists today. The dealership remained there until he commissioned Braunton & McGhee to build the magnificent structure on Texas & Cotton that we picture today. Lone Star Motors continued at that Texas and Cotton location until 1964, when the company was purchased by William Ramsey and renamed Cortesia Cadillac. In 1971 the firm was purchased by John Pennington, and moved to 5915 Montana and renamed Courtesy Chevrolet - where it remains today as Viva Chevrolet.
Today the building appears to be in great condition, and is the home of Texas Fabrics and Foam. It stands as a monument to one of El Paso's most accomplished architects, Hugh Braunton, and to one of the city's most celebrated businessmen: Harvey Wilcox.
***************
Text, modern photography and research provided to sketchclub.net by Mark Stone, citing period newspaper articles and advertisements accessed at newspapers.com
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Image from the John Mottinger Collection, via the El Paso and the Surrounding Area: Way Back When Facebook page |
 |
| Newspaper clipping from the El Paso Evening Post 04/24/1930, page 5, accessed at newspapers.com |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
 |
| Photograph taken by Mark Stone, autumn 2020 |
