Cotton Belt Building, Tyler, Texas
historic place
The Cotton Belt Building in Tyler, Smith County, was constructed in 1954 and dedicated in March 1955 as the corporate headquarters for the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, known as the Cotton Belt Route. Architects H. J. McKenzie and Wyatt C. Hedrick designed the building, blending International Style and Art Deco classicism. It consolidated the railway's Texas and Missouri operations, contributing to Tyler's economic development during the East Texas oil boom. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, the building is significant for its architecture and its role as a corporate center for the regional railway.