Dallas, TX - Texas Hall of State at Fair Park
The Texas Hall of State at Fair Park, site of the 1936 Texas Centennial celebration in Dallas, Texas, where the structure was called the State of Texas Building. Eventually designed by Donald Barthelme, the building is a premier example of Cret's Modernism -- a reference to noted designer Paul Cret, who was the design consultant for the project. The design blends classicism and Art Deco – with a few Texas motifs (cacti, oil wells) for good measure. Crafted from Texas limestone, The Hall of State was, at a cost of $1.2 million, the most expensive building per square foot built in Texas at the time. The signature element of the building's exterior is the 11-foot-tall statue of a Tejas Indian poised above the main entrance. Artist Allie Tennant made the statue of bronze and covered it with gold leaf. Meanwhile, the bronze doors feature designs that represent Texas industries and activities – a cowboy's lariat, cotton bolls and wheat sheaves, among others. 59 Texans are honored in the frieze around the top of the building. Photo by Carol Highsmith.