Main Building, College of Mines

The picture shows one of the first Texas College of Mines buildings, known as "Old Main" today. The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy was opened in 1914 on Fort Bliss, but two years later it moved to its current location. The wife of the then-dean Steven Worrell suggested the Bhutanese style of architecture. The new buildings would resemble Bhutanese monasteries with massive, gently sloping walls, high inset windows, projecting roof eaves and dark bands of brick with mosaic tiles in the shape of mandalas— the symbol of unity and wholeness. Henry C. Trost designed the buildings. The Old Main was the first campus building, built in 1917. In the beginning it housed a snack bar and a small library until 1920. It has served a variety of purposes and housed several different schools, students, and faculty. During the earliest years of the building, the front steps acted as a gathering ground for rallies, meetings, and competitions. Not having a facility large enough to assemble a sizable amount of people, the students and faculty congregated on its steps. In 1982 Old Main was listed as an official Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historic Commission.

Area: Central / University

Collection: Stout-Feldman Studio Photographs

Source: University of Texas at El Paso Library - Special Collections Department

Reference ID: PH074-7010

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History