By Olivia Kelly
Image caption: El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building, 1907 (Courtesy of Mark Stone, The El Paso Sketch Club)
Edward Kneezell. The name sounds like something right out of a Dr. Seuss storybook. Much like Seuss created diverse characters and stories, Kneezell created diverse designs and buildings.
Distinctive skylines and historic structures characterize the downtown region of El Paso. Each building holds unique stories and architectural styles designed by renowned architects who saw potential in the beautiful Sun City. Henry Charles Trost, the principal designer of the Trost & Trost Firm, may very well be the most renowned architect in El Paso’s history, eclipsing other architects of the time. However, Trost is not the only architect who had a hand in shaping the city’s development. Edward Kneezell, an early pioneering architect rumored to be El Paso’s first, also greatly impacted and helped shape El Paso’s downtown area and the overall city.
Kneezell was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1855, where he studied architecture for three years. His father, a builder, influenced his love of architecture. Throughout his years learning architecture, Kneezell was a student in various architectural offices, honing his craft under the tutelage of senior architects. Surprisingly, architecture was not his only interest. Genealogy Magazine explains, “The science of archaeology has been of absorbing interest to Mr. Kneezell, and his few periods of vacations have been devoted to visiting those sections of the country where ancient ruins abound. His visits have extended through México, Central, and South America.” Kneezell’s archeology hobby and interest in architecture led him to El Paso.
Image caption: Edward Kneezell, 1905 (Courtesy of El Paso Times)
In the late fall of 1882, when Kneezell arrived in El Paso, the city was at its pinnacle of development with the introduction and expansion of the railroads in 1881. Before his arrival, Kneezell gained railway experience with engineering and construction work with the Mexican Central Railroad. Many adobe-style structures in the city had been demolished and replaced with western architecture. Kneezell seized the potential in the Sun City’s capacity to become a contemporary metropolis of the 20th century because of the railroad’s impact on the city’s developing economy. As a result, Kneezell set to work. His notable works include The Wallace Apartments (1903), Sheldon Office Block (1881), Hotel Linden (1910), Alamo Elementary (1899), Sunset School (1902), Lamar Public School (1906), San Jacinto Elementary (1904), and, most importantly, the El Paso Southwestern Railroad Building (1907).
With his projects differing in design, it is difficult to determine if Kneezell preferred one architectural style over another, incorporating a range of styles into each structure. The Wallace Apartments on 1201 Randolph Street, stucco two-story apartments in the historical Sunset Heights neighborhood, was designed in the beautiful mission revival style. Hotel Linden, constructed at 504 North Oregon Street, exhibited a Renaissance Revival style. The Sheldon Office Building, founded initially at 102 W. Mills Avenue, was designed in the Italianate style and was renovated twice. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed it in 1929. Alamo Elementary School, located at 500 S. Hills Street, combines Romanesque Revival with the Italianate style but sadly closed in 2007.
Kneezell designed the Sunset School in the Spanish architectural style at the intersection of West Rio Grande and El Paso. San Jacinto Elementary, located at 1216 Olive, eclectically blends Italianate and Victorian architectural features. Each style is distinctive and beautiful. Kneezell addressed several factors, including location, climate, religion, budget, culture, and building standards, when designing his structures.
El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building, 1907 (Courtesy of Mark Stone, The El Paso Sketch Club)
Upon stepping foot in El Paso, Kneezell immediately identified it as his new home. He assisted the shining city’s development, collaborating with various clients and accepting commissions to design schools, hotels, houses, businesses, and hospitals for over 30 years. He also oversaw the construction of projects belonging to other architects. The commissions he received made him a highly recognized architect around El Paso, and he joined the American Institute of Architecture in 1901. He also served the community in other ways. In 1926 El Paso Herald reports, “Mr. Kneezell was a prominent member of the Elks’ Lodge and served as exalted ruler of the El Paso Lodge during 1904, 1905, and 1906.” The Elks Lodge, a charity foundation, dedicated itself to serving the community and the people through acts of benevolence, such as giving Christmas presents to the poor and gifting toys to children. Kneezell’s love for El Paso is evident in his deeds, making him a known name in early El Paso.
Kneezell faced several challenges and disagreements while gaining recognition. These challenges included a legal dispute involving a client’s partner, objections to the decision of the Commissioner Advisory Committee to acquire architecture plans through competitive methods, disagreements with the committee’s preference for the Trost & Trost company to provide architectural plans, and disapproval of a statement made by Commissioner Seth Orndorff. In 1915, Kneezell and a group of architects from El Paso attended a court hearing to decide whether building plans for a project should be accepted. After taking feedback from architects throughout El Paso, Commissioner J.M. Walling concluded that seeking competitive plans for the project was a mistake. However, the committee still chose the Trost & Trost firm for the project, which caused dissatisfaction among Kneezell and other architects. Kneezell suspected bias in the committee’s decision. When Commissioner Seth Orndorff responded to the disapproval, Kneezell felt that Orndorff ’s statement cast a reflection on every other architect in the city.
Despite his extensive experience as an architect, Kneezell had to put in a lot of effort to establish his credibility so as not to fall behind his competitors. Nevertheless, he was one of the few architects receiving the majority of school commissions in the early 1900s. As The El Paso Sketch Club asserts in its “1902 Sunset School - 1925 El Paso Vocational School” article, “Edward Kneezell, who, along with his arch-rival Ernest Krause, [raked] in most of the school building commissions at the time.” Even though he had a solid reputation and was recognized for his work, he could not afford to be complacent. Kneezell frequently found himself in competition with well-known architects like Henry C. Trost and the Trost & Trost firm, John J. Stewart, Ernest Krause, and many others.
The competition between architects and architectural firms during the 1900s in El Paso was intense. Hundreds of architects wanted a shot at earning a reputation for themselves, and booming El Paso, in need of new structures, appeared as a perfect opportunity, causing commissioners to demand architects present competing plans or design proposals. The architect with the most favored architectural design was selected depending on what a commissioner wanted, factoring in cost, functionality, creativity, and more. Then the commissioner implemented the design and constructed the new building.
Kneezell continued designing buildings in El Paso until his retirement in 1911. He died on May 24, 1926, at 71. Respected not only as an architect but as the former exalted leader of the Elks Lodge, Kneezell’s funeral was held at the Elk’s residence to commemorate his legacy. The Hartford Mortuary Company oversaw Kneezell’s funeral and burial, and Kneezell was finally laid to rest at the Evergreen cemetery. His Pennsylvania-based wife, Ellen Arnold Kneezell, and his New Jersey-based sister, Lydia Cremer, were in attendance.
Each of Kneezell’s buildings is important, and some are still in use today. San Jacinto Elementary School, now known as the San Jacinto Adult Learning Center, is one of them. However, Kneezell’s El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building design solidified him as an architect in a different league. This skyscraper stands out among the architect’s other projects. It boasts unique features not found in his other builds, like a steelwork interior, hydraulic elevators, and a height of seven stories. The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building earned him acclaim. The City of El Paso’s Development Service Department notes that “Mr. Kneezell garnered his highest recognition in the year of 1907 as an associate member of the American Institute of Architects for his design of the seven-story ‘Skyscraper’ built to house the offices of the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad,” an acclaim not unfounded because of the skyscraper’s elaborate traits.
Located at the corner of Stanton and Franklin in downtown El Paso, the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building was groundbreaking for the city’s development. At the time of the skyscraper’s creation, its height made it a significant feat for El Paso, as the first skyscraper to grace the El Paso skyline, considered the tallest building at the time, standing seven stories high. This edifice delivers a strong message to El Paso visitors as it reached for the sky and towered over other structures in the downtown area. Architect Morris Brown remarks in the KTSM article “Downtown Tour: The History of El Paso’s First Skyscraper,” “To have a sense of ‘we are here,’ we want you to know that we are El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Company….”
The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building’s imposing height for the time is not its only extraordinary characteristic. The building’s elaborate Romanesque Revival style makes it a lovely sight. The El Paso Sketch Club best describes this building’s beauty and architectural elements, highlighting the tall arched windows that give it an exaggerated sense of height. Steel framework hidden from the eye supports the building, serving as its skeleton, and a thin mortar line seamlessly connects the building’s brick. The building’s front exhibits a slight castle-like exterior with its elegant half-round arch and ornate medium-sized columns. The skyscraper’s interior houses the first hydraulic elevators in the city.
Image caption: El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building (Courtesy of Mark Stone, The El Paso Sketch Club)
Serving as the main headquarters for the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building is a notable site, a reminder of how El Paso’s economy evolved into the magnificent city it is today. The City of El Paso’s Development Service Department says, “This structure was recognized by the Texas Historical Commission in 1981 as a building that ‘reflects the importance of El Paso as a major retail center.’ It is the first building in El Paso to be built by the use of a steel framework.”
Today the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building is 115 years old and counting. It no longer serves its original purpose but is now the PNC Bank building. The outside of the building has undergone minor alterations. Considering the skyscraper’s age and historical significance, some argue that modifying its original architectural style and characteristics would slightly diminish its historical significance. One such contributor, Gerald Moorhead of SAH Archipedia, deems the alterations to the top-story window bays “unfortunate” and states that an aluminum and glass curtain wall was placed to give it a “modernized” appearance.
Even after his passing, Kneezell continues to assist the city. The education facilities Kneezell created, such as Lamar Elementary School, San Jacinto Adult Learning Center, and others, have helped the community for decades and continue to do so. The Wallace Apartments, the most contemporary apartments in El Paso in 1903, are 112 years old and are a historical reminder of 1900s architecture. The legacy of the pioneering architect Edward Kneezell reminds us how far El Paso has come because of those who came before us, despite being unknown to many
