Blue Flame Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Blue Flame Building (El Paso Natural Gas Company Building)
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Blue Flame Building in El Paso as seen from La Placita in 2019.
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| Location | 120 N. Stanton |
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| Built | 1954 |
| Architect | Kenneth Franzheim |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002129 |
| Added to NRHP | February 13, 2018 |
The Blue Flame Building is a famous skyscraper in El Paso, Texas. It was also known as the El Paso Natural Gas Company Building. When it was finished in 1954, it was the tallest building in El Paso for a short time. The building was home to the El Paso Natural Gas Company until 1996. After that, the El Paso Independent School District used it for a few years. Starting in 2018, the building began to be updated. These updates are expected to be finished by 2020.
The building became a special historic place on February 13, 2018. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Its most amazing part is a 21-foot tall flame on top. This flame acts like a weather beacon.
Contents
Discover the Blue Flame Building
The Blue Flame Building is 18 stories tall and stands 230 feet high. It has a strong steel frame inside and a basement underground. The outside of the building is covered with granite. The building was designed by Carroll and Daeuble in 1952. They used an idea from architect Kenneth Franzheim. The Robert E. McKee Construction Company built it, starting in 1953.
When it was finished in 1954, the El Paso Times newspaper called it a "showcase of the latest in industrial construction." It had modern walls that could be moved. This made it easy to change the office spaces inside. At that time, it was the tallest building in El Paso. From the top, you could see all of El Paso and even Ciudad Juárez in Mexico.
The Amazing Weather Flame
A very special part of the building is the 21-foot tall flame on its roof. This flame is made of plexiglass. The Federal Sign and Signal Company built it. The flame was made to be a weather beacon. It would light up in different colors to show the weather forecast.
- When the flame was blue, it meant the weather would not change.
- A red flame meant warmer weather was coming.
- A gold flame meant cooler weather was on its way.
- If the flame "flickered," it meant wind or precipitation (like rain or snow) was expected.
Sometimes, the flame was turned off for cleaning. For 40 years, one person was in charge of the flame. They would call the National Weather Service to find out what color to light it.
A Look at the Building's History
The land for the building was bought in 1949. The whole building cost about $5 million to build. It was first called the El Paso Natural Gas Company building. It was built to bring all the company's employees into one place. Other businesses also had offices there, like E.F. Hutton and Co. There were also shops on the first floor.
When the building opened in 1954, it had office space for 1,000 gas company workers. It also had a coffee shop and a 99-seat auditorium on the fifth floor. There was even a small hospital area on the third floor with a registered nurse. The sixteenth floor was for the gas company's top leaders. The president, Paul Kayser, and other managers had offices on the seventeenth floor. The lobby showed pictures of the El Paso Natural Gas Company's work.
The big flame on top was first tested in March 1955. It was turned on for good a week later. The first time it was lit, it was red, meaning warmer weather was coming. People could also take tours of the building in March 1955.
Christmas Lights and New Owners
During the Christmas season, the building used to light up its office windows. They would make a cross shape at night. This tradition stopped during the energy crisis in the 1970s. People wanted to save energy.
In the 1980s, the El Paso Natural Gas Company decided to move. But they promised the flame on the old building would stay. In 1986, El Paso County thought about buying the building. However, in 1996, the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) received the building as a gift. It came from Southern Union Gas. EPISD moved many of its staff into the building.
But by 2000, EPISD planned to move out and sell the building. Employees moved out by July 2001. In 2004, a businessman named Bob Jones bought the building. Later, in 2006, another El Paso businessman, Paul Foster, bought it.
By 2018, the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP) began renovating the building. They plan to make it into offices and apartments for people with lower incomes. On February 13, 2018, the Blue Flame Building was named a historic landmark. This special status helps with tax credits for the $40 million renovation. The updates are set to be finished by 2020.
Images for kids
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Blue Flame Building in El Paso as seen from La Placita in 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Blue Flame Building para niños
