Titche-Goettinger Building
Encyclopedia
The Titche-Goettinger Building is one of Dallas' original broad-front department stores located along St. Paul Street between Main and Elm Street in downtown
Dallas
, Texas
(USA
). The structure currently houses apartment
s, retail
space, and the Universities Center at Dallas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is a contributing property
in the Harwood Historic District
and Main Street District. It is also located across the street from Main Street Garden Park
.
, a department store, on the southeast corner of Elm and Murphy Streets in downtown Dallas. By 1904, operations had outgrown the Elm/Murphy location and the store moved to the year-old Wilson Building. By 1928, the store had again outgrown itself and construction began on a new building two blocks east in an area known as "Uptown".
Located along St. Paul between Elm and Main, the new flagship building designed by noted architect George Dahl
opened in November 1929 as one of the largest department stores in the Southwest. It consisted of seven floors plus basement and sub-basement. The exterior was clad in Indiana Limestone with Italian Florentine detail in Renaissance Revival style, while the inside featured Art Deco design elements.
The interior of the building was set up like current department stores of its day. The basement was used as a retail space featuring "popularly priced" merchandise. The first floor sold impulse goods such as gloves, hats, purses and hosiery. It featured a patterned terrazzo floor and eighteen foot ornamental ceiling. Columns had ornamental capitals with Texas-motifs. The second floor sold women's and misses' clothes as well as furs and featured differently themed "galleries". Children's clothes and lingerie were located on the third floor, originally decorated with peach and apricot colors. House wares such as rugs, draperies, and furniture were on the fourth floor. The fifth floor featured glass ware and china, and the employee restrooms and hospital. The offices were on the sixth floor. On the seventh floor was a 600 seat auditorium that could also be converted into four small conference spaces. A basement and sub-basement held the mechanical equipment as well as a state-of-the-art refrigerated fur vault that could hold up to 3,000 fur coats. The cooling system cooled the basement and first floor.
In the 1960s and '70s the chain was more well known as Titche's.
The store took on the Joske's
name in 1979. In 1985 Allied Stores consolidated Joske's three Texas divisions, and the top three floors of the building were converted to corporate offices. The store connected its retail concourse to the expanding Dallas Pedestrian Network
during a renovation of the basement, first and second floors in 1986. When Dillard's
bought the assets of Joske's
in 1987, the historic downtown building was not included in the sale; the store was closed soon after.
In 1994, Graham Greene (Meckfessel Associates) renovated the 1955 addition as the Dallas Education Center (now known as the Universities Center at Dallas
). The UCD was the first multi-institutional teaching center (MITC) for higher education in Texas and was established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to provide access to public higher education at the upper division and graduate levels to citizens who live and work in downtown Dallas. Four of the seven floors have been converted to classroom space and are used by Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman's University
(TWU), University of North Texas
(UNT), University of Texas at Arlington
(UTA), Dallas County Community College District
(DCCCD) and 9th-12th grade of the Pegasus School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The facility also contains Fashion on Main, the exhibition facility of UNT's Texas Fashion Collection
. Future plans include expansion of the fashion gallery. The current address for this portion of the building is 1901 Main.
The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
As one of the first residential renovations in downtown Dallas, Oglesby-Green adapted the original 1929 building into 129 loft-style apartments and retail space in 1997. To provide adequate light to interior apartments a section of the building on floors 2-8 was cut away, but the façade was left intact (this is evident when viewing the rows of open windows along Main). The eighth floor of apartments is the old "attic" space facing the interior courtyard and is only accessible via stairs from the seventh floor. Resident parking is accommodated in the basement and sub-basement levels. Many of the original finishes were incorporated into the renovation where practical, making each unit unique in design (units feature original windows and decorative columns, and one unit incorporates the old ballroom's stage). The lobby features many historical photographs and artifacts of the building's past. For several years in the late 1990s a portion of the lobby contained the Gold Bar and restaurant Champagne; vestiges still remain of old bar and department store features throughout the building. The current address for this portion of the building is 1900 Elm.
UNT purchased the Universities Center at 1901 Main with plans to expand program offerings. Because the building shares parking and other critical services with 1900 Elm, UNT also purchased the apartment building and offers a reduced rate to full-time students, thus reunifying the historic building under one ownership.
On May 14, 2009 the Texas Legislature approved UNT's request for a public law school in the neighboring Dallas Municipal Building
. The Universities Center will be home of the new law school until the renovated building is ready for occupancy.
. Zoned schools include City Park Elementary School, Billy Earl Dade Middle School, and James Madison High School.
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). The structure currently houses apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s, retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
space, and the Universities Center at Dallas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
in the Harwood Historic District
Harwood Historic District
The Harwood Historic District is a historic commercial district and Dallas Landmark District on the east end of downtown Dallas, Texas lying in parts of the City Center District, Main Street District and Farmers Market District...
and Main Street District. It is also located across the street from Main Street Garden Park
Main Street Garden Park
Main Street Garden Park is a public park located in downtown Dallas, Texas, USA The $17.4 million park was primarily funded through the City of Dallas’ 2003 and 2006 bond programs and is the first of several planned downtown core parks, including Pacific Plaza Park and Belo Garden Park...
.
History
In 1902, Edward Titche formed a partnership with Max Goettinger and the two established Titche-GoettingerTitche-Goettinger
Titche-Goettinger was a department store chain based in Dallas, Texas . It was established in 1902 and was a major player in the Dallas retail market until its absorption by Dillard's in 1987.- History :...
, a department store, on the southeast corner of Elm and Murphy Streets in downtown Dallas. By 1904, operations had outgrown the Elm/Murphy location and the store moved to the year-old Wilson Building. By 1928, the store had again outgrown itself and construction began on a new building two blocks east in an area known as "Uptown".
Located along St. Paul between Elm and Main, the new flagship building designed by noted architect George Dahl
George Dahl
George Leighton Dahl was a prominent American architect based in Dallas, Texas during the 20th century. His most notable contributions include the Art Deco structures of Fair Park while he oversaw planning and construction of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition.-Background:George Dahl was born in...
opened in November 1929 as one of the largest department stores in the Southwest. It consisted of seven floors plus basement and sub-basement. The exterior was clad in Indiana Limestone with Italian Florentine detail in Renaissance Revival style, while the inside featured Art Deco design elements.
The interior of the building was set up like current department stores of its day. The basement was used as a retail space featuring "popularly priced" merchandise. The first floor sold impulse goods such as gloves, hats, purses and hosiery. It featured a patterned terrazzo floor and eighteen foot ornamental ceiling. Columns had ornamental capitals with Texas-motifs. The second floor sold women's and misses' clothes as well as furs and featured differently themed "galleries". Children's clothes and lingerie were located on the third floor, originally decorated with peach and apricot colors. House wares such as rugs, draperies, and furniture were on the fourth floor. The fifth floor featured glass ware and china, and the employee restrooms and hospital. The offices were on the sixth floor. On the seventh floor was a 600 seat auditorium that could also be converted into four small conference spaces. A basement and sub-basement held the mechanical equipment as well as a state-of-the-art refrigerated fur vault that could hold up to 3,000 fur coats. The cooling system cooled the basement and first floor.
Expansion
In 1955 the building doubled in size with the opening of a "Texas-size" major addition along Main between St Paul and Harwood designed by Thomas, Jameson & Merrill. This addition matched the original building in height, depth and building materials, although the façade was windowless and featured a large cartouche and prominent signage. The addition also boasted the first complete escalator service for a building of its size in the Southwest and the largest plate glass windows at street level. The expanded 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) department store boasted three restaurants, a bakery and a 1,600-seat public auditorium.In the 1960s and '70s the chain was more well known as Titche's.
The store took on the Joske's
Joske's
Joske's, founded by German immigrant Julius Joske in 1867, was a department store chain originally based in San Antonio, Texas. In December 1928, Hahn Department Stores acquired the company along with the Titche-Goettinger department store of Dallas, and three years later Hahn became part of Allied...
name in 1979. In 1985 Allied Stores consolidated Joske's three Texas divisions, and the top three floors of the building were converted to corporate offices. The store connected its retail concourse to the expanding Dallas Pedestrian Network
Dallas Pedestrian Network
The Dallas Pedestrian Network is a system of grade-separated walkways covering thirty-six city blocks of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA. The system connects buildings, garages and parks through underground tunnels and above-ground skybridges...
during a renovation of the basement, first and second floors in 1986. When Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
bought the assets of Joske's
Joske's
Joske's, founded by German immigrant Julius Joske in 1867, was a department store chain originally based in San Antonio, Texas. In December 1928, Hahn Department Stores acquired the company along with the Titche-Goettinger department store of Dallas, and three years later Hahn became part of Allied...
in 1987, the historic downtown building was not included in the sale; the store was closed soon after.
Adaptive Reuse
Universities Center at Dallas
The Universities Center at Dallas is a partnership between the Dallas County Community College District and four Texas universities. It is located in the historic Titche-Goettinger Building in the Main Street District area of downtown Dallas, Texas, and was the first partnership of its kind in...
). The UCD was the first multi-institutional teaching center (MITC) for higher education in Texas and was established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to provide access to public higher education at the upper division and graduate levels to citizens who live and work in downtown Dallas. Four of the seven floors have been converted to classroom space and are used by Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman's University
Texas Woman's University
Texas Woman's University is a co-educational university in Denton, Texas, United States with two health science center branches in Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas...
(TWU), University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
(UNT), University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
(UTA), Dallas County Community College District
Dallas County Community College District
The Dallas County Community College District is a network of seven community colleges in Dallas County, Texas . It is headquartered at 1601 South Lamar in Dallas....
(DCCCD) and 9th-12th grade of the Pegasus School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The facility also contains Fashion on Main, the exhibition facility of UNT's Texas Fashion Collection
Texas Fashion Collection
The Texas Fashion Collection is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and documentation of historically significant fashion. It is operated by the University of North Texas through the College of Visual Arts and Design and housed on the UNT campus in Denton, Texas...
. Future plans include expansion of the fashion gallery. The current address for this portion of the building is 1901 Main.
The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
As one of the first residential renovations in downtown Dallas, Oglesby-Green adapted the original 1929 building into 129 loft-style apartments and retail space in 1997. To provide adequate light to interior apartments a section of the building on floors 2-8 was cut away, but the façade was left intact (this is evident when viewing the rows of open windows along Main). The eighth floor of apartments is the old "attic" space facing the interior courtyard and is only accessible via stairs from the seventh floor. Resident parking is accommodated in the basement and sub-basement levels. Many of the original finishes were incorporated into the renovation where practical, making each unit unique in design (units feature original windows and decorative columns, and one unit incorporates the old ballroom's stage). The lobby features many historical photographs and artifacts of the building's past. For several years in the late 1990s a portion of the lobby contained the Gold Bar and restaurant Champagne; vestiges still remain of old bar and department store features throughout the building. The current address for this portion of the building is 1900 Elm.
UNT purchased the Universities Center at 1901 Main with plans to expand program offerings. Because the building shares parking and other critical services with 1900 Elm, UNT also purchased the apartment building and offers a reduced rate to full-time students, thus reunifying the historic building under one ownership.
On May 14, 2009 the Texas Legislature approved UNT's request for a public law school in the neighboring Dallas Municipal Building
Dallas Municipal Building
The Dallas Municipal Building is a Dallas Landmark located along S. Harwood Street between Main and Commerce Street in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas that served as the city's fourth City Hall...
. The Universities Center will be home of the new law school until the renovated building is ready for occupancy.
Design Details
- The prominent cartouchCartouche (design)A cartouche is an oval or oblong design with a slightly convex surface, typically edged with ornamental scrollwork. It is used to hold a painted or low relief design....
on the 1955 addition became a symbol of the Titche-Goettinger company and can be found in other areas of the building. It is made of solid Indiana limestone and stands 28 feet high by 26 feet across, covering part of the building's fifth, sixth and seventh floors. The design was created by the architectural firm of Thomas Jameson and Merrill. The center portion is topped by a star signifying the Lone Star State and Titche's place in it. On each side of the star are live oak leaves mixed in with cactus blossoms. Below the star on the left is a scale indicating full measure and value. On the right, a ship indicating the world of commerce. Nine cotton bolls are indicative of Texas farm life and the textile industry, and on the right are the initials of the store. The six national flags of Texas are shown, representing the United States, Confederacy, France, (on the left) Texas, Mexico and Spain (on the right).
- Above the entrance doors are relief sculptures of important Dallas leaders and businessmen.
- The 1929 building was once lit by a series of multi-colored lights. These light sconces can still be seen along the building façade but are not in use today.
- On either side of the entry doors are medallions representing Texas commerce. At the St. Paul (west) entrance are designs of cotton and wheat, representing the two main agricultural crops of the state. At the Elm Street (north) entrance, timber and manufacturing are featured and at the Main Street (south) entrance cattle and oil are shown.
Zoned schools
Residents are zoned to schools in the Dallas Independent School DistrictDallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
. Zoned schools include City Park Elementary School, Billy Earl Dade Middle School, and James Madison High School.