Momsen Dunnegan & Ryan Co.
Remarks: In 1914, Gus Momsen, George Ryan and C.F. Dunnegan opened a hardware warehouse store on the east corner of Overland and Virginia Street. The store sold stoves, wagons, woodwork, hardware items and much more. They were also distributors for the El Paso Sash & Door Company.
In 1917, Bray & Company sold to the Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan Company, 90 by 120 feet on the corner of Overland and Ochoa streets for $20,000 cash and transfered 105 by 120 feet on the corner of First and Ochoa street, making the total consideration about $36,000. The 90 foot frontage purchased adjoined the company’s previous building located on Overland.
The following year, negotiations were completed for the transfer of the O.T. Bassett & company lumber yard property to Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan company for $55,000. The Bassett lumber yard occupied the entire block on Overland street from Virginia to St. Vain and ran back a depth of 120 feet back to the Texas & Pacific railroad warehouse. This property, together with the corner of Overland and Ochoa, purchased by Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan company in 1917, gave the firm a total frontage of two blocks on Overland and the same amount to the Texas & Pacific railroad. The plan was to erect a large reinforced concrete building on the corner of Ochoa and Overland.
In 1928, construction began for the El Paso plant. Trost & Trost drew the plans for a four story reinforced concrete building , faced with pressed brick and stucco. The building was to have two electric elevators, two spiral chutes, and a sprinkler system. The second floor was to be used for the company offices, and the remainder of the building for storage space.
The building was completed in December of 1928 at the cost of $200,000. The following February, Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan began a $50,000 addition to the recently completed building. When completed the warehouse was 260 feet on Overland with frontage of 120 feet on Ochoa and on Virginia street.
The building still stands today.
Old photograph is courtesy of the El Paso Public Library. Modern photography taken by Mark Stone 2019
Text written by Margaret Smith, edited by Mark Stone
Additional Details
Type: Commercial
Construction Date: Jan 1, 1928
Address: 800 East Overland and South Ochoa streets, El Paso
Condition: Extant
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