HALL OF STATE

The Hall of State at Fair Park in Dallas is not only a piece of Art Deco architecture, it also displays and symbolizes the history of Texas from its earliest recorded history through the Texas Centennial in 1936. Remember, Texas celebrates its birthdays from the date it became a nation in 1836, not the date it became a state in 1845.

Built in nine months, including all of the interior artwork, for $1,200,000, the Hall of State symbolizes 400 years of Texas history under the flags of six nations.

In my opinion, the Hall of State is the most beautiful building in Texas….and therefore the world.

Please be patient….this is the first “place” I put on “places” and I took these pictures at high resolution; I now know I should have taken them at lower resolution for speed in loading….live and learn. Just remember, the best things in life take a little patience. Quite frankly, I was amazed by these pictures of the Hall of State….my new Nikon Coolpix 3100 digital camera overcomes a lot of my other deficiencies.

Front view of the Hall of State – the Portico Tejas

The pillars are 76 feet tall backdropped by blue mosaic tile (see above and below). The Tejas Warrior is eleven feet tall.

The Hall of State is managed and maintained on the inside by the Dallas Historical Society and on the outside by the City of Dallas; see the Dallas Historical Society's excellent web site at www.dallashistory.org.

The Tejas Warrior over the entrance to the Hall of State

When entering the Hall of State, you would never know the building is shaped in the form of a T for Texas. When you go in the front doors, you are in the Hall of Heroes looking straight ahead into the Great Hall of Six Flags which forms the leg of the T.

The Gold Medallion in the Great Hall of Six Flags

When you go up the steps into the Great Hall, you look straight ahead at the Gold Medallion which is finished in three shades of gold. The Medallion symbolizes the six nations of which Texas has been a part…but always with the Lone Star at its center.

On either side are 30 foot by 80 foot murals symbolizing the history of Texas. On the left takes you from the earliest European explorers though the Republic of Texas. On the right, from Texas statehood through 1936….where time stops in this building.

One panel of the mural in the Great Hall depicting the fall of The Alamo, and Stephen F. Austin gaining recognition of the nations of the world of Texas’ independence.

One panel of the mural in the Great Hall depicting Santa Anna’s surrender to the wounded Sam Houston, the men who died at Goliad, and the battle at Gonzalez.

The Hall of Heroes has, among other things, the statues of the six most important people during the Texas Revolution (according to the experts of 1936): William Barret Travis, Mirabeu B. Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, James Fannin, Thomas Rusk. This semi-circular hall connects the Great Hall in the center of the building with the wings which include the West Texas Room, the East Texas Room, the South Texas Room and the North Texas Room. It is the semi-circular Hall of Heroes that makes it hard to believe the Hall of State forms a T.

Statue of William Barret Travis in the Hall of Heroe

Each room in the Hall of State is different….floors, walls, ceilings, art. Each of the side rooms is designed to symbolize a section of Texas.

Mural over entry door in the North Texas Room depicting the attributes of North Texas

Above is a good example of the symbolism that is everywhere you look in the Hall of State. This mural depicts north Texas in 1936. Here is Mr. Texas (a popular 1936 cartoon figure) wrapping his arms around the cities of Fort Worth (left) and Dallas (right). In the background is farming, cotton, transportation, electricity. On the right, the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas. But always at the center of everything, the family.

Light on wall in the entry to the Great Hall

Everywhere you look in the Hall of State, you find unique symbolism. The light above shows long horn cattle and cactus and it is mounted on a wall of stone with sea shells.