Vowell Hall, University of Texas at El Paso

Vowell Hall was part of a bundle of structures built for Texas Western College (today’s University of Texas at El Paso), completed in 1917-1921. The plans for the buildings were drawn by Charles Gibson of the architectural firm of Gibson & Robertson in a Bhutanese style, at the request of Kathleen Worrell, who was the wife of the first dean. She had seen the style in the pages of National Geographic Magazine. During the planning stages of construction, Trost & Trost was awarded the commission, and the firm agreed to purchase the plans that had been previously drawn by Gibson. Gibson stayed on as an associate architect for the project, along with iconic El Paso architect Edward Kneezell. The structure, originally known as Kelly Hall, stands today in excellent condition. For more information, please see https://www.facebook.com/TrostSociety/posts/3088734704577908

Otherwise uncredited photograph from the Trost Society Archives.

— Mark Stone

Other Names: Kelly Hall, Mass Communication Building, "Old Kelly"
Type: Education
Construction Date: Jan 1, 1921
Address: Vowell Hall, El Paso, TX 79902, USA
Condition: Extant