Hall of State

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The Hall of State (originally the State of Texas Building) is a building at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Texas that is a shrine to the history of the state of Texas.

Built in 1936 at the astronomical (especially during the Great Depression) price of $1.2 million USD, the building was the most expensive per unit area of any structure built in Texas. It was designed for the centennial of the Republic of Texas by architect George Dahl in the beaux arts style and is considered one of the most representative examples of art deco architecture in Texas. The Hall of State is the culmination of the 1,500 foot (460 m) long Esplanade of State which is flanked by six exhibition pavilions and features a long reflecting pool. It was built using Texas limestone and features many memorials to many of the heroes of Texas history.

The curved exedra at the entrance to the Hall of Texas features 76 foot (23 m) tall limestone pillars sit in front of blue tiles designed to evoke the state's flower, the bluebonnet. In the center, above the entrance is an 11-foot bronze with gold leaf statue of the "Tejas Warrior": an archer ready to fire.

Inside the Hall of State is the Hall of Heroes, which features six bronze statues of James Fannin, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Thomas Jefferson Rusk and William B. Travis. There are also bronze plaques that commemorate the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Outside, a statue of Robert L. Thornton, benefactor of the State Fair of Texas and former Mayor of Dallas stands, overlooking the esplanade.

On the exterior frieze, the Hall of State commemorates 59 prominent historical figures in Texas' history: