Praetorian Building: City’s first high-rise had short-lived title

When it opened in 1909, the Praetorian Building towered over downtown Dallas. Built at Main Street and Stone Place, it was Dallas’ first skyscraper at 15 stories tall. The structure was the tallest building in Texas — and the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. If someone looked to Dallas, they saw the Praetorian Building.

Yet its status as the tallest part of the Dallas skyline lasted for less than three years. Soon, the Praetorian Building was overshadowed by taller, more modern structures, and it never quite reclaimed its former glory.

The Dallas Morning News looks back on the rise and fall of the city’s first skyscraper.

Who are the Praetorians?

On April 4, 1898, the Modern Order of Praetorians was founded by Charles Gardner, a book wholesaler from Illinois. The order was considered his brainchild. The idea for a fraternal society came about after a meeting of Gardner; George Taylor, who worked in life insurance; and Louis Blaylock, the future Dallas police commissioner and later Dallas mayor.

When the order began operating in 1899, it was the first life insurance company chartered in Dallas. Texans typically purchased life insurance from businesses outside of the state, and the early years were lean for the Praetorians. The order had insufficient funds to pay for its first death claim, and Blaylock had to pay it out of his pocket.

Eventually, the fraternal society found success and had between 4,000 and 5,000 members within its first five years.

Dallas’ first skyscraper

In late 1904, the Praetorians bought a vacant lot at Main Street and Stone Place. The plans originally called for a seven-story structure that would cost around $75,000.

Excavation began in the summer of 1905, but a promised $250,000 loan fell through just in time for the rainy fall season. The excavated hole, once called “Gardner’s Folly,” became known as “Gardner’s Swimming Pool.” It sat dormant for at least a year before the building’s steel frame arrived. Eventually, the financial situation was resolved and the building’s cornerstone was laid in 1907.

The Praetorian Building, which cost $800,000, opened for visitors in 1909. Some Dallasites were initially skeptical that a building that tall would be safe. Others happily stood in line and paid 25 cents each to ride the elevator and see Dallas from the top floor. According to The News on Feb. 28, 1909, it was “a fine view of the entire city.”

The Fraternal Monitor, a journal that discussed fraternal societies like the Praetorians, called the building “a genuine work of art.” The exterior was made of gray granite, featuring blue-gray terracotta columns and blue-gray porcelain brick. The steel frame on the inside was built to withstand fires, and every office suite contained a fireproof vault. The inside was decorated in mahogany, tile and marble.

The building was home to much more than just the Praetorians. When it opened in 1909, the ground floor contained a barbershop and cafe. The offices for the Anti-Saloon League of Texas were located there, as well as the recruiting headquarters for the Texas National Guard during World War I. In 1919, half of the 12th floor was leased to Empire Gas and Fuel Co., and in 1923, the Dallas Astronomical Society held meetings on the roof.

A modern overhaul

1958 was a red-letter year for the Praetorians and their building. That January, the order became the Praetorian Mutual Life Insurance Co., a legal reserve life insurance company. On Oct. 2, 1958, The News reported that the Praetorian Building, now “towered over by newer and taller buildings,” was to receive “a face-lifting” that would cost about $1.5 million. Construction began in August 1959.

The building looked radically different after its renovation. It was almost completely rebuilt, floor by floor, with only the original steel frame remaining. This renovation also added another story to the building. Initial reactions were positive, and on April 23, 1961, shortly before its completion, The News called the new checkerboarded exterior a “symphony of color.” Its glass-and-metal design alternated white and Praetorian Yellow, a color created for the building.

Changes and decline

The 1970s and 1980s marked a period of decline defined by rapid changes in management and ownership. Praetorian Mutual Life sold the building in August 1970. Various management and real estate firms sold and resold it in 1981, 1983 and 1986. Later, the building fell into foreclosure.

In May 1987, The News reported Praetorian Mutual Life was relocating its headquarters to an office building in Las Colinas. Later, new ownership was reportedly unable to keep up with the rent, and the Praetorian Building closed its doors for good in June 1993. In August of that year, The News reported that it had been “Dallas’ longest-operating office tower.” It was open for 84 years.

The Praetorian Building stayed empty for the rest of its days. Contemporary pieces in The News lambasted the 1960s remodeling as “unattractive,” and that it “junked” and “obliterated” the building’s design.

Although different owners throughout the 2000s aimed to restore its original look, the renovation had destroyed all of the neoclassical architectural features, rendering them unrecoverable. Despite efforts — including by former Mayor Tom Leppert — to preserve the building as a historic landmark, it was demolished in 2012.