Tax Credit Program Highlight: Lone Star Gas Company Building

Dallas, Dallas County

1924

Designation	Listed in the National Register as part of the Dallas Downtown Historic District
Historic Use	Offices
Current Use	Apartments
Total Rehabilitation Cost	$25,518,362
Qualified Rehabilitation Expenses	$20,023,353
Date Certified	May 10, 2017
	Also certified for Federal Historic Tax Credits.

History

During Dallas’ move towards natural gas in 1910, the Lone Star Gas Company was organized and the city became known as one of the capitals of the natural gas business. In 1924, the company constructed its headquarters on Wood Street, and in 1931 expanded by constructing an adjacent building on Harwood Street. This second building is a prime example of Art Deco architecture in Dallas. It was originally intended and engineered to receive an additional seven stories in a later phase, but the Great Depression halted its expansion. The Lone Star Gas Company building was “built to exemplify the perfect use of gas” – construction materials were manufactured with natural gas, power to build it was generated by natural gas, and even the café utilized all natural gas appliances. The building was also “made in Texas,” with materials sourced within a 100-mile radius of the site.

Rehabilitation Project

When this project began in 2013, the property had most recently been used for rental offices, and many of the historic interior features on the upper floors of the two buildings were lost. Since the upper floors had such poor integrity, they were able to be heavily altered in their conversion to apartments. Fortunately, the ornate primary spaces on the first floor were found relatively intact once later materials such as acoustical tile ceilings had been removed. The spectacular elevator lobby features inlaid stone floors, fluted black marble columns, etched metal elevator doors, and gilded wood ceilings. The massive two-story public service hall, now an event space, is accented by terrazzo floors, stone wall panels, faceted columns, gleaming wooden teller booths with granite counters, and intricate ceiling medallions.