Medical Dental Building
a.k.a. Republic National Life Building; Jefferson Tower
300 Blk. of West Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TXThe Medical Dental Building (1929) is currently known as Jefferson Tower, which reflects its location on Jefferson Boulevard, a prominent street in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. The building was called the Medical Dental Building from its completion in 1929 through 1939 and was subsequently known as the Republic National Life Building (1939-1950), Jefferson Tower (1951-1969), Carter Towers (1970-1985), and Jefferson Tower again in 1986. The Medical Dental Building has served the commercial heart of downtown Oak Cliff for over 70 years. Once advertised as a "one-stop shopping service," the building offered medical and dental offices and professional, trade, and retail use all in one block. The building is the most prominent feature on Jefferson Boulevard, and represents an important period of growth and prosperity for the community of Oak Cliff and Dallas, playing a pivotal role in the commercial, professional and social development of Oak Cliff. The building meets the criteria at the local level in the area of Community and Regional Planning. The Medical Dental Building embodies the design principles and aesthetic qualities typical of the Art Deco style and meets the criterion in the area of Architecture on the local level of significance as one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in Oak Cliff.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.