Will Rogers Memorial Center
Fort Worth, Tarrant County
The Will Rogers Memorial Center is a multipurpose entertainment complex in Fort Worth, established in 1936 in commemoration of the Texas Centennial. The nominated portion of the complex includes the original north central portion of the property containing the interconnected Tower, Auditorium and Coliseum, as well as two historic ticket booths, and associated landscape features on the 20 acre parcel west of downtown Fort Worth. The Art Deco main building features the iconic 209-foot-tall Pioneer Tower flanked by a domed Coliseum to the east and an Auditorium with a seating capacity of 2,856 to the west. The steel and brick buildings are decorated with rich and colorful sculptural reliefs, murals, and modernistic lighting fixtures, making the center one of the most exuberant and significant examples of Art Deco design in the city and state. The complex, designed by Wyatt Hedrick with Herman Koeppe in 1936, and dedicated on January 10, 1937, stands as the crowning achievement of their partnership. The three-part main building features the iconic Pioneer Tower flanked by a domed Coliseum to the east and an Auditorium to the west. The complex was widely acclaimed by the architectural profession upon completion. The property was listed in the National Register under Criterion A in the area of Entertainment/Recreation and Criterion C in the area of Architecture at the state level of significance. The period of significance for the center is 1936, the year of its construction.
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