Downtown El Paso in El Paso County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The Cavalryman Statue
Percival Henderson (1860-1918), a mining expert and long-time resident of El Paso, purchased this plot of land in front of the Scottish Rite Temple. He intended to erect a monument in honor of his recently deceased friend, William Crawford Harvie (1864-1915), a local businessman, civic leader, and member of the Scottish Rite Consistory. Henderson died before he completed his memorial, so the execution of his plans was left to his nephew, Richard H. Eurich (1886-1970). In keeping with Henderson's will, Eurich chose a theme that highlighted El Paso's historic ties to the United States military, the cavalryman.
José Ruiz de Rivera (1904-1985), a Louisiana-born sculptor, was commissioned to carve this 9-foot statue from Pennsylvania black granite. A student of John W. Norton at Chicago's Studio School, Rivera is best remembered today as an Abstract Expressionist who designed curvilinear metallic sculptures in the Art Deco and Cubist styles. “The Cavalryman” reflects an Art Deco style and is reminiscent of Regionalism, an art movement of the 1930s that inspired artistic images of the American heartland.
This monument is a rare example of a triple commemorative. It pays tribute to an enduring icon of the American Southwest, the frontier soldier. It directs our gaze to an important El Paso landmark, the Scottish Rite Temple. And it celebrates the deep and enduring friendship between two men, William Crawford Harvie and Percival Henderson, who helped forge the great city of El Paso during its pioneer years.
The Renaissance Fund, El Paso Community Foundation A significant historical month for this entry is March 1940.
Location. 31° 45.617′ N, 106° 29.534′ W. Marker is in El Paso, Texas, in El Paso County. It is in Downtown El Paso. Memorial is at the intersection of North Santa Fe Street and East Missouri Avenue on North Santa Fe Street. The marker and statue are located at the corner of the intersection in a small park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 605 N Santa Fe St, El Paso TX 79901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bataan Memorial Trainway (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old B'Nai Zion Synagogue (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old San Francisco Historic District (approx. 0.2 miles away); San Jacinto Plaza (approx. 0.2 miles away); El Camino Real (approx. 0.2 miles away); Historic Sidewalk Clock (approx. ¼ mile away); El Paso County (approx. ¼ mile away); El Paso (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in El Paso.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 42 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 22, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.