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By Marcia Ross, Class of 1994

Henry Charles Trost (1860 – 1933) was born in Toledo, Ohio, where he attended art school and began his career as an architectural draftsman. He worked in Chicago between 1888 and 1896 where he was a designer of ornamental metal and  was the vice president of the Chicago Ornamental Iron Company from 1892 to 1896.

While some speculate that Trost could have worked in the office of Louis Sullivan at the same time as Frank Lloyd Wright, his biographers agree that he was greatly influenced by the work of both men.  Another influence was the California Building at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; it introduced the Mission Revival style, a design he took with him when he headed west in 1896.

Trost eventually settled in the young and rapidly growing El Paso, Texas. There he formed the architectural firm Trost & Trost with his brothers, Gustavus and Adolphus, and his nephew George Trost, who became its structural engineer. The firm was known for pioneering the use of steel-reinforced concrete. El Paso was an ideal place for his architectural firm, which saw almost instant success. For several decades the firm designed public buildings, homes, churches, and hotels.  My husband and I initially stumbled upon one of these hotels and then sought out others as we traveled through West Texas.

Keeping the family legacy alive, Margaret Smith, granddaughter of Gustavus Trost and secretary of the Trost Society, writes that these hotels “were designed to fit the landscape and character of their hometowns…The firm gave each hotel a unique look…still having them as working hotels provides revenue, preserves history, and is a source of pride for the community. My family is thankful to those who run the hotels.”

If West Texas is on your horizon, look for these Trost hotels:

Hotel Paso del Norte, El Paso

Opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1912, the hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. After extensive renovation, it opened in October, 2020, as part of the Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection.

The building displays Henry Trost’s affinity for Spanish Colonial Revival style arches, courtyards, wrought iron trim, tile roofs, colorful interior tile, and decorative exposed ceiling beams. Arches and elaborate detailing encircle an expansive lobby topped by a 25-foot Tiffany-style stained-glass dome.

Hotel Paisano, Marfa

This hotel opened in June, 1930. Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean stayed here during filming of the movie Giant in 1955.

Hotel El Capitan, Van Horn

Opened in 1930, the hotel is easily accessible to three national parks: Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains, and Big Bend.

Gage Hotel, Marathon

Rancher Alfred S. Gage commissioned Trost and Trost to build this hotel in 1926 as a base for overseeing his vast cattle operation. The hotel and its surroundings would fit into a 1950s western movie!

Trost & Trost designed hundreds of buildings throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. For more information, visit trostsociety.org or simply google Henry C. Trost!

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This is the first in what we hope will become an ongoing series about “Architects You Should Know.”  We wecome and encourage you to share your knowledge about another influential, prolific and, perhaps, lesser known architects by writing an article for The Bridge.  Contact Lisa Ciota (lisa.ciota@gmail) or Emily Clott (em********@ya***.com) to coordinate getting your article on The Bridge.

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