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Historic Hotels of the Trans-Pecos

3/31/2013

8 Comments

 
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this map is painted on the waiting room wall in the Alpine train station (the light switch is real)
This is slightly "off topic" but it's my blog, so what?  The Trans-Pecos region of Texas is home to several historic, boutique hotels.  I spent 2 nights in Alpine during my recent courthouse road trip.  Fortunately, I was able to spend those nights in the Hotel Holland.  Actually, I wasn't technically "in" the Hotel Holland.  Rather, I was in the Hotel's Dragonfly Cottage, which is a free-standing room near the hotel.  Here's a photograph of the cottage (behind the bamboo) with the Hotel Holland in the background, across the alley.
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The Dragonfly Cottage is pretty small, but then it only sleeps one person.  The Hotel Holland dates from 1928.  It was designed by the El Paso architectural firm of Trost & Trost.  It's named for its original owner, John Holland, a rancher in the Alpine area.  The hotel is across the street from the Alpine Amtrak station.
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On top of the bedside table in my cottage was a pair of ear-plugs.  Not something I expected to find.  Then I realized why.  The "Sunset Line" of the former Southern Pacific Railway is less than 100 feet away.  At night the sound of passing trains is hard to miss.  However, I personally find that sound soothing, so the ear-plugs never left their package.  The Hotel Holland is home to the Century Bar & Grill, which I highly recommend.  Especially the Bar!  For guests, the first drink each day is on the house.  The interior of the hotel has been restored and is very comfortable.
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A few miles west of Alpine on US 90 is the town of Marfa, seat of Presidio County.  Marfa is home to the Paisano Hotel, another Trost & Trost design, dating from 1930.  "The Paisano was for the most part a cattleman's hotel for its first 40 years.  Ranchers from all over the area had business meetings here and bought and sold their herds from the lobby of the hotel."   The hotel is a block south of the historic Presidio County courthouse.
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"In 1955 Warner Brothers chose Marfa as the location for the filming of the epic movie Giant. In June of that year the cast and crew including James Dean,  Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson made the hotel their headquarters."
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North of Marfa is the mile-high town of Fort Davis, seat of Jeff Davis County.  Fort Davis is home to the historic Hotel Limpia, dating from 1912.  This rock clad building is across the street from the Jeff Davis County courthouse.
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Jeff Davis County is home to the magnificent Davis Mountains and the University of Texas McDonald Observatory.  More important, The Hotel Limpia claims to have the ONLY bar in Jeff Davis County, the Blue Mountain Bistro.
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East of Alpine, on US 90, is the very small community of Marathon (population 430), the gateway to the Big Bend National Park.  Marathon is home to the famous Gage Hotel, yet another design by Trost & Trost, Architects.  Built in 1927 by local rancher, banker and businessman, Alfred Gage, the hotel is a landmark in this high mountain valley north of the Big Bend.  The town was named Marathon because its terrain reminded Capt. Albion E. Shepard, a former sea captain who had worked as a surveyor for the railroad, of the plains of Marathon, Greece.
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Restored and reopened in late 1970's, the Gage Hotel has been expanded in the adobe style.
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Last, but not least, there's the El Capitan Hotel (1930) in Van Horn, seat of Culberson County.  Yes, it's also the work of Trost & Trost, Architects.  They were nothing if not prolific.  And, very talented.  Van Horn is northwest of the Big Bend region, on I-10 at US 90.  It's the nearest town to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. 
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"The building is essentially the identical floor plan of its sister hotel The Hotel Paisano in Marfa. It was one of the five Gateway Hotels in a chain built by  in Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. The other three hotels were the Hildago, in Lordsburg, New Mexico, The La Caverna, in Carlsbad, New Mexico and The Gateway Hotel in downtown El Paso, Texas. Besides The El Capitan, The Paisano and The Gateway Hotel in El Paso are still open today. Bassett built the hotels in an attempt to encourage tourism within 200 miles of El Paso."
8 Comments
Jennie Taylor
3/31/2013 11:59:07 am

We stayed at The Gage and Hotel Limpia last spring on our trip to Big Bend. Both were great places to stay. Loved the historic buildings.

Reply
Linda link
4/14/2013 05:32:39 am

Love your website with all the courthouses. My husband and I have been visiting many of them and I am keeping my own log because we enjoy the history. Your pictures of the Trans-Pecos are also wonderful. We went through the area in March and are planning on going back to spend more time. One thing I did notice is that on your Midland page you had the old courthouse. Did not know if you knew this but they are planning on demolishing that building. We did go to the newest courthouse and were not impressed because it is a modern multi-story building. Thanks for all your information on the history or the counties and courthouses.

Reply
Leonard Lane
4/14/2013 08:19:00 am

Linda
Thank you for your kind comments.
I covered the newest Midland County courthouse in my 08/04/2012 blog entry. Waiting to see if the county goes through with the threat to demolish the "historic" courthouse downtown.

Reply
bill sparker
5/22/2013 06:04:50 am

Leonard - This is a VERY cool website. Early in my medical sales career my territory was the entire state of Texas and I spent a lot of time driving the backroads of the state and was always attracted to the county courthouses. It's an awesome pursuit. Good Luck and I'll bookmark your site.

Is it my understanding that you are trying to take these pictures only when the trees are in bloom and the weather is nice?



Reply
Leoguy
5/22/2013 06:21:26 am

You are correct, Bill. My rule is to visit and photograph the courthouses during the spring and summer. Fortunately, in many parts of Texas spring comes early in the year!

Reply
Wally
5/13/2014 04:23:28 am

Leonard,
Thank you for sharing your travels with the rest of us. I travel overseas for work and was feeling a bit homesick. Happened upon your page by chance and was able to show off a bit to my colleagues.

Reply
Donna Broussard
3/5/2018 07:37:16 am

Is La Caverna in Carlsbad still standing or has it been demolished? It is the only one I can’t find out of the five is still standing.

Reply
Leonard Lane
3/5/2018 08:38:06 am

Sadly, it was demolished.
http://www.henrytrost.org/buildings/la-caverna-motor-inn/

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    Author

    Leonard G. Lane, Jr., AIA
    leonardlane@gmail.com
    I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as soon as I could.  I'm an architect.  And, a photographer on the side.
    I live in Houston, with my wife, Donna.  After our daughter, Hilary, passed the Texas Bar exam she took the oath as an attorney in the historic Harris County courthouse on Friday, November 15, 2013.

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