810 Houston Street [NR/Sky (NR)], W.T. Waggoner Building, 1919-20; 1984-85. One of the great commercial monuments of Fort Worth, this twenty-story skyscraper was constructed in 1919-20 at a costof$1.5 million by Fort Worth oil baron and cattle king W.T. Waggoner. When completed it was the tallest building in Fort Worth and one of the tallest structures in the southwestern United States. The oil boom financed its construction and helped sustain it. Tenants have included major oil companies such as Sinclair, Transcontinental, and Consolidated Petroleum, as well as Continental National Bank.
It is one of the best examples of work by the important Fort Worth firm of Sanguinet and Staats and displays a rich use of materials inside and out. C.S. Lambie & Co. of Denver, Colorado was the general contractor for the project. The building was intended to be the ultimate in modern offices, featuring Otis elevators, refrigerated drinking water from an artesian well on the property, and a built-in vacuum cleaning system. Restored in 1984-85 according to plans by Cauble Hoskins Architects carried out by Haws & Tingle, general contractors, the exterior features a two-story polished marble base and terra cotta trim. There is an ornamental entrance lobby and a vaulted elevator hall. The original banking hall and mezzanine are intact. The W.T. Waggoner Building was listed on the National Register in 1979. It is also a contributor to the proposed Downtown Skyscrapers National Register Thematic Group.