Burk Burnett Building

500 Main - 1914; restored 1980, 1984 (NR)

Located in Sundance Square, the building was designed by Sanguinet & Staats and was the city's first true skyscraper. The building is neoclassical in design and it was originally built as the home of the State National Bank. The base of the building is white terra cotta with granite columns on the Main Street facade. The middle of the building is red brick with a terra cotta band string course separating each floor. The top of the building is again white terra cotta with an elaborate cornice. Because it was the tallest building in the city when it was built, the ornamentation continues on the sides of the building that face away from the street. However, the ornamentation is with a different color of brick instead of terra cotta.  Buchanan and Miller were the General Contractors.  This was the third building designed by Sanguinet & Staats of similar appearance.  The Amicable Life Insurance Co. (ALICO) Building in Waco is 22 stories and has a different color scheme.  It opened in 1911.  The Rand Building in San Antonio is only eight stories, and opened in 1913, but is an almost exact duplicate of the Burk Burnett.  The old bank lobby was restored in 1984 and has housed a number of retail shops and services since the restoration.  Worthington National Bank is the current ground floor tenant.  Offices are located in the remainder of the building.   The Texas-New Mexico Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation is also located here.

Construction photograph of building