Momsen, Dunnegan & Ryan
El Paso, Texas
Description: Momsen Dunnegan & Ryan Co.
Other Names: El Paso County Archives Building
Address: 800 East Overland, at South Virginia and South Ochoa streets, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Type: commercial: warehouse
Original Client: Gus Momsen
Historic Inventory:
Date: 1925 -1928
Condition: extant
Architect or Firm: Trost & Trost
Associated Architect or Firm:
Contractors: J.P Morgan
Dimensions and Orientation: three stories with elevated basement, length: 120 feet x width: 52 feet
Budget/Cost: $220,000.
Foundation: reinforced concrete
Wall Materials: concrete frame with brick infill
Roofing Materials: flat
Other Materials Used: concrete ornament and parapet coping; rolling steel shutters on freight doors
Remodeling and Additions: a $50,00 addition at a cost of $50,000 was added in 1929 additional story and three elevator were also added.
Present Owner: El Paso County, purchased April 15, 1988 from a joint venture, which had been previous owner
Location of Drawings: El Paso Public Library: (M-9) 10 ink on linen pages dated April 1925, including side, front and rear elevations
Location of Documentary Photographs:
Bibliography: (1) El Paso Times, April 16, 1988, section B, pages [1] and 2
(2) El Paso Herald, December 28, 1928 page 9
(3) El Paso Herald, March 8, 1917 page 2
(4) El Paso Herald, December 18, 1919 page 1
(5) El Paso Herald, January 14, 1928 page 1
(6) El Paso Herald, August 27, 1928 page 1
(7) El Paso Evening Post, January 23, 1929 page 8
(8) El Paso Evening Post, Novemeber 23, 1928 page 15
Remarks: In 1914, Gus Momsen, George Ryan and C.F. Dunnegan opened a hardware warehouse store on the east corner of Overland and Virginia Street. The store sold stoves, wagons, woodwork, hardware items and much more. They were also distributors for the El Paso Sash & Door Company.
In 1917, Bray & Company sold to the Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan Company, 90 by 120 feet on the corner of Overland and Ochoa streets for $20,000 cash and transfered 105 by 120 feet on the corner of First and Ochoa street making the total consideration about $36,000. The 90 feet frontage purchased adjoined the company’s present building located on Overland.
The following year negotiations were completed for the transfer of the O.T. Bassett & company lumber yard property to Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan company for $55,000. The Bassett lumber yard occupied the entire block on Overland street from Virginia to St. Vain and ran back a depth of 120 feet to the Texas & Pacific railroad. This property, together with the corner of Overland and Ochoa, purchased by Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan company in 1917, gave the firm a total frontage of two blocks on Overland and the same amount to the Texas & Pacific railroad. The plan was to erect a large reinforced concrete building on the corner of Ochoa and Overland.
In 1928, construction began for the El Paso plant. Trost & Trost drew the plans for a four story reinforced concrete building , faced with pressed brick and stucco. The building was to have two electric elevators, two spiral chutes, and a sprinkler system. The second floor was to be used for the company offices, and the remainder of the building for storage space.
The building was completed in December of 1928 at the cost of $200,000. The following February, Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan began a $50,000 addition to the recently completed building. When completed the warehouse was 260 feet on Overland with frontage of 120 feet on Ochoa and on Virginia street.
The building still stands today.
SIDE NOTE:
In 1926, Momsen-Dunnegan-Ryan company completed a $30,000 building for it’s Arizona business at Third avenue and Buchanan street. The building was designed by Trost & Trost architects and still stands today.
Prepared for the El Paso Public Library by Lloyd C. and June F. Engelbrecht under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, 1990