Lang & Witchell
# Lang & Witchell

Lang & Witchell was a prominent architectural firm in Dallas, Texas, active from 1905 to 1942.

## History

Senior partner Otto H. Lang was born in Freiburg in 1864. He graduated in 1888 with a degree in structural engineering from the University of Karlsruhe, also studying architecture. He then relocated to the United States, eventually settling in Dallas, where he worked for the Texas and Pacific Railroad, eventually becoming its senior architect and engineer. Frank O. Witchell was born in South Wales in 1879. As a child, his family relocated to San Antonio, Texas. As a teenager he entered the office of J. Riely Gordon, one of the best-known architects in the state. In 1898 he began work as a designer with Sanguinet & Staats in Fort Worth.

In 1905, the two men separated from their employers, founding the new firm of Lang & Witchell. This firm would rise to become the most esteemed architectural firm in Dallas.

The partnership was dissolved in 1938, when Witchell retired duo to failing health. Lang continued to operate the firm until 1942, when he too retired. He continued on in an advisory capacity with architect Grayson Gill. Lang would die in 1947, and Witchell in 1952.

## Legacy

The firm is credited with designing a number of buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

## Architectural works

Caption :

| Year | Building | Address | City | State | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1905 | Columbian Club | S Ervay St and Griffin St E | Dallas | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1906 | Y. M. C. A. Building | Commerce and S St Paul Sts | Dallas | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1907 | Dallas High School | 2218 Bryan St | Dallas | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1996. |
| 1907 | First National Bank Building | S Main and W 3rd Sts | McGregor | Texas | |
| 1907 | Harris County Courthouse | 301 Fannin St | Houston | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1981. |
| 1908 | Howard County Courthouse | 300 S Main St | Big Spring | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1909 | Hotel Grace | 102 Cypress St | Abilene | Texas | |
| 1909 | Scurry County Courthouse | 1806 25th St | Snyder | Texas | Extant, but altered almost beyond recognition. |
| 1910 | Cooke County Courthouse | 101 S Dixon St | Gainesville | Texas | Designed in association with Garrett & Collins of Gainesville. Listed on the NRHP in 1991. |
| 1910 | Sanger Brothers Department Store | 716 Elm St | Dallas | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1975. |
| 1910 | Sears, Roebuck & Company Warehouse | 1601 S Lamar St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1910 | Southland Life Insurance Company Building | 1416-1422 Commerce St | Dallas | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1910 | Wichita Falls Union Depot | 500 9th St | Wichita Falls | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1911 | Dallas Cotton Exchange Building | 401 S Akard St | Dallas | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1911 | House | 1766 Pasadena Ave | Houston | Texas | |
| 1911 | Nacogdoches County Courthouse | 101 W Main St | Nacogdoches | Texas | Demolished. |
| 1911 | Southwestern Life Insurance Company Building | 1500 Main St | Dallas | Texas | Demolished in 1972. |
| 1912 | Didaco and Ida Bianchi House | 4503 Reiger Ave | Dallas | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1995. |
| 1912 | Busch Building | 1509 Main St | Dallas | Texas | Designed in association with Barnett, Haynes & Barnett of St. Louis. Now known as the Kirby Building, and listed on the NRHP in 1980. |
| 1912 | Johnson County Courthouse | 1 Public Sq | Cleburne | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1988. |
| 1912 | Sears, Roebuck & Company Store | 1401 S Lamar St | Dallas | Texas | Presently a mixed-use development known as Southside on Lamar. |
| 1913 | Riggins Hotel | 801 Austin Ave | Waco | Texas | Later known as the Raleigh Hotel and Raleigh Building. |
| 1913 | Rufus W. Higginbotham House | 5002 Swiss Ave | Dallas | Texas | Considered to be one of the purest examples of Prairie School architecture in Dallas, this house is a contributing property to the Swiss Avenue Historic District, listed on the NRHP in 1974. |
| 1913 | Tannehill (Western Union) Building | 2030 Main St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1914 | Higginbotham-Bailey-Logan Company Building | 900 Jackson St | Dallas | Texas | Presently a mixed-use development known as Founders Square. |
| 1914 | Sally Salzenstein House | 2419 South Blvd | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1915 | James W. Fannin Elementary School | 4800 Ross Ave | Dallas | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1995. |
| 1916 | American Exchange National Bank Building | 1407 Main St | Dallas | Texas | Designed in association with Alfred C. Bossom of New York, demolished. |
| 1916 | Belford Apartments | 260 S Main St | Paris | Texas | Designed in association with Curtis, Broad & Lightfoot of Paris. |
| 1916 | Fire Station No. 2 | 1011 Pine Bluff St | Paris | Texas | Designed in association with Curtis, Broad & Lightfoot of Paris. |
| 1916 | First Baptist Church | 207 S Church St | Paris | Texas | |
| 1916 | First National Bank Building | 104 Bonham St | Paris | Texas | Designed in association with Curtis, Broad & Lightfoot of Paris. |
| 1916 | Gibraltar Hotel | 265 S Main St | Paris | Texas | Designed in association with Curtis, Broad & Lightfoot of Paris. |
| 1917 | Jefferson Hotel | Wood and Houston Sts | Dallas | Texas | Demolished in 1975. |
| 1917 | Majestic Theatre | 1925 Elm St | Dallas | Texas | Designed in association with John Eberson of Chicago. |
| 1917 | Y. W. C. A. Building | 315 E Franklin Ave | El Paso | Texas | |
| 1919 | Magnolia Petroleum Company Building | 108 S Akard St | Dallas | Texas | Designed in association with Alfred C. Bossom of New York as the tallest building in Texas. Listed on the NRHP in 1978. |
| 1922 | Amarillo Municipal Auditorium | 600 S Buchanan St | Amarillo | Texas | Designed in association with Smith & Townes of Amarillo, demolished in 1968. |
| 1922 | Booker T. Washington High School | 2501 Flora St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1922 | Paul N. Dunbar Elementary School | 4200 Metropolitan Ave | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1923 | Chevrolet Motor Company Building | 3221 Commerce St | Dallas | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 2003. |
| 1923 | Dallas Athletic Club | N St Paul and Elm Sts | Dallas | Texas | Demolished in 1981. |
| 1923 | Highland Park Town Hall | 4700 Drexel Dr | Highland Park | Texas | |
| 1923 | Lone Star Gas Company South Building | 301 S Harwood St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1924 | Hilton Hotel | 1933 Main St | Dallas | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1985. |
| 1924 | Nurses' Home | 708 S College St | McKinney | Texas | A contributing property to the Old McKinney Hospital, listed on the NRHP in 1987. |
| 1925 | Dallas Cotton Exchange Building | 608 N St Paul St | Dallas | Texas | Designed in association with Thomson & Swaine of Dallas. Demolished in 1994. |
| 1926 | Clarence R. Miller House | 5112 Swiss Ave | Dallas | Texas | A contributing property to the Swiss Avenue Historic District, listed on the NRHP in 1974. |
| 1926 | Crazy Water Hotel | 401 N Oak Ave | Mineral Wells | Texas | Designed in association with Withers & Morrell of Dallas. |
| 1926 | Dallas County Records Building | 509 Main St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1926 | Episcopal Church of the Incarnation | 3966 McKinney Ave | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1927 | San Angelo Telephone Company Building | 14 W Twohig Ave | San Angelo | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1988. |
| 1927 | Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Building | 308 S Akard St | Dallas | Texas | Designed in association with company architect Irving R. Timlin. Now known as Three AT&T Plaza. |
| 1928 | Eastland County Courthouse | 100 W Main St | Eastland | Texas | |
| 1928 | Gulf States Insurance Company Building | 1415 Main St | Dallas | Texas | Now known as Third Rail Lofts. |
| 1928 | University Park Elementary School | 3505 Amherst Ave | University Park | Texas | Demolished in 2017. |
| 1928 | Waco Hall | Baylor University | Waco | Texas | Designed in association with Harry L. Spicer of Waco. |
| 1928 | Wichita Falls City Hall and Memorial Auditorium | 1300 7th St | Wichita Falls | Texas | Designed in association with Voelcker & Dixon of Wichita Falls. |
| 1929 | Dallas Power and Light Company Building | 1506 Commerce St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1929 | Waco City Hall | 300 Austin Ave | Waco | Texas | Designed in association with Harry L. Spicer of Waco. |
| 1930 | First State Bank and Trust Company Building | 100 W 25th St | Bryan | Texas | Listed on the NRHP in 1987. |
| 1931 | Lone Star Gas Company North Building | 301 S Harwood St | Dallas | Texas | |
| 1933 | State Highway Building | 125 E 11th St | Austin | Texas | Designed in association with Adams & Adams of Austin. Listed on the NRHP in 1998. |
| 1936 | U. S. Post Office Terminal Annex | 207 S Houston St | Dallas | Texas | |
