The architectural firm of Gibson and Robertson has provided us with some stunningly creative examples of their art. During the 1910s, the firm gave us the Swiss Chalet styled Julius Max Krakauer Mansion; the Colonial styled Frank Ainsa Residence on Mesa; and the Mission Revival gem Roger Bacon Seminary.
One of their most enchanting drawings is the home designed for Gibson himself. It is a Mission/Spanish/Pueblo eclectic mix with a riot of Mission parapets and, playfully, not one single arch. Charles Gibson, arguably one of the most creative architects in El Paso history, occupied this residence from its erection in 1912 until 1919, when he sold the home to D. Bruce Smith, who remained there until at least 1922.
The firm of Gibson and Robertson disappeared from history (apparently) as 1919 turned into 1920, along with Charles Gibson himself - and as we are acquainting ourselves with this firm we may solve that mystery.
The Gibson Residence still stands today, located at the corner of Fort Boulevard and Myles in the Grandview Addition in central/northeast El Paso. Originally located at 3429 Fort, the address was changed to 3431 in late 1914.
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Text and research provided to sketchclub.net by Mark Stone. This historical narrative is derived from newspaper articles and City Directory entries accessed through the Library of Congress' Chronicling America project at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ and the University of North Texas (Denton) Digital Archives at https://texashistory.unt.edu/. Modern photographs taken by Mark Stone, January 2021
