El Paso High Term Paper
El Paso High School: Representing the Power of Greek and Roman Architecture
Nicholas Damon Schultz
Art History 1305
Dr. Max Grossman
November 20, 2013 El Paso High Schools east and southeast facades are neo classical designed structures from Henry Charles Trost constructed between 1914 and 1916. Trost was an architect that was a large part of El Paso’s architectural history during a significant portion of economic growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.1 El Paso High Schools east and southeast façade designs harken back to ancient Roman and Greek architecture greatness with similar and contrasting themes from the Pantheon and Maison Carree, and makes a strong statement to the community.
On the exterior of the building, Trost decided on a buff terracotta façade that helps to blend the building in with the surrounding scenery.2 The Tuscan-styled Roman hexastyle portico sits on a podium, located in center of the building with rectangular block wings on each side of it.3 The portico is surrounded with six Corinthian styled polylithic columns.4 The columns and most of the façade is pieced together, and is not made of solid concrete.5 The capitals are adorned with helix, acanthus leaves, and a fleuron.6 Past the astragal, we see the shaft is fluted down to the filet, with a torus, scotia, torus, and plinth making up the base.
Next, the entablature is of Corinthian design. Starting above the abacus in the architrave, there 3 plain fasciae, with two ornamental molding patterns breaking them apart: a pearl reed, and a Greek arabesque pattern.7 Finishing the architrave, a cyma reversa with a pronounced fillet that the frieze is seated on. The frieze devoid of ornamental decoration excluding the name of the school in Roman quadrata type lettering.8
Then, above the frieze, we have a stunning cornice.9 Sitting above the frieze, is a bead and reel pattern molding that sits below the cyma reversa. Above the cyma reversa sits a row of dentils.
Nicholas Damon Schultz
Art History 1305
Dr. Max Grossman
November 20, 2013 El Paso High Schools east and southeast facades are neo classical designed structures from Henry Charles Trost constructed between 1914 and 1916. Trost was an architect that was a large part of El Paso’s architectural history during a significant portion of economic growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.1 El Paso High Schools east and southeast façade designs harken back to ancient Roman and Greek architecture greatness with similar and contrasting themes from the Pantheon and Maison Carree, and makes a strong statement to the community.
On the exterior of the building, Trost decided on a buff terracotta façade that helps to blend the building in with the surrounding scenery.2 The Tuscan-styled Roman hexastyle portico sits on a podium, located in center of the building with rectangular block wings on each side of it.3 The portico is surrounded with six Corinthian styled polylithic columns.4 The columns and most of the façade is pieced together, and is not made of solid concrete.5 The capitals are adorned with helix, acanthus leaves, and a fleuron.6 Past the astragal, we see the shaft is fluted down to the filet, with a torus, scotia, torus, and plinth making up the base.
Next, the entablature is of Corinthian design. Starting above the abacus in the architrave, there 3 plain fasciae, with two ornamental molding patterns breaking them apart: a pearl reed, and a Greek arabesque pattern.7 Finishing the architrave, a cyma reversa with a pronounced fillet that the frieze is seated on. The frieze devoid of ornamental decoration excluding the name of the school in Roman quadrata type lettering.8
Then, above the frieze, we have a stunning cornice.9 Sitting above the frieze, is a bead and reel pattern molding that sits below the cyma reversa. Above the cyma reversa sits a row of dentils.
Bibliography: Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited, ed. "A Visual Glossary of Classical Architecture." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified 2013. Accessed November 11, 2013. http://www.ancient.eu.com/article/486/.