The day before I left El Paso, I took some time to see some buildings that I had not visited before. One of those was the storied El Paso High School. El Paso High School was built in 1916 and is nicknamed “The Lady on the Hill.” The building was designed by Trost and Trost, the same architectural firm of the O.T. Bassett Building and the Plaza Hotel. For this building Trost and Trost chose a Neo-Classicism structure. “The porch of the building plays a symbolic role because Trost wanted to show the origins of drama and athletics in the western world by making the porch overlook the stadium.” The building is truly an inspirational place to visit.
The building overlooks the high school football field and El Paso. Off in the distance, the city of Juarez, Mexico can also be seen, as the building sits on the slopes of the Franklin Mountains. The stadium was the site of the first three Sun Bowl games—tied with the Sugar and Orange bowls to be the second oldest College Bowl Games. And walking along the stands, you can feel inspired by the sites of this beautiful stadium.
The El Paso High School building is truly a local landmark. During the short time I was in El Paso, I was able to hear some of the interesting tales about famous people who attended the school, as well as some of the well-known hauntings and secret rooms inside the mysterious building. It was truly a remarkable opportunity to walk along the steps of this old building.