HISTORY

History of the Hotel Paisano

The Hotel Paisano was built by Charles N. Bassett of El Paso and designed by Henry C. Trost of El Paso, in 1930. The main customers of the Hotel Paisano during the 1930s and 1940s were area cattle ranchers who came to Marfa to buy and sell their herds and tourists who came to West Texas for the benefits of the dry desert air.

History of Henry Trost

“He was one who let himself be known by his works, rather than his words, one who made a valid and lasting contribution to the development of this great region. His was a life of purpose and achievement, and he leaves the Southwest richer for his having lived and worked in it.”
— El Paso Times 1933

History of Giant

In 1955, George Stevens and a Warner Bros film crew came to Presidio County to film Giant. The Hotel Paisano served as the base of operations for the months the film was being shot in the surrounding countryside. Stevens stayed at the Hotel Paisano as did many of the members of the cast and crew who included: James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Sal Mineo, Chill Wills, and Jane Withers, among others.

History of Marfa

Founded in the early 1880s as a water stop, today Marfa is a tourist destination and a major center for minimalist art, artisan shops, historical architecture, and the Marfa lights.