Tower Building (U.S. Government Building), 1936

George Dahl
ArchiTexas, restoration, 1999

The 179-foot high triangular tower of the U.S. Government Building marked the geographic center of the Centennial Exposition.  Its design is attributed to Donald Nelson, who previously worked on the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition, and was coaxed, along with others, to join Dahl's staff at the fair's conclusion.  These strong ties account for the similarity of the federal buildings at both expositions.  Nearby, Grand Place, Gill and Harrell, 1954, is an impoverished reminder of Albert Kahn's extravagant Ford Motor Co. Exhibit Building, which was located on this site during the Centennial.

Credits: Excerpts taken from The American Institute of Architects Guide to Dallas Architecture, published in 1999 by the American Institute of Architects, Dallas Chapter. The editor of this book was Larry Paul Fuller. The Fair Park Introduction and entries were written by Willis Winters, AIA.

Permission to publish these excerpts was granted by The American Institute of Architects, Dallas Chapter, in October 2002.