ALICO Building
Upper floors of ALICO building
ALICO Building is located in Texas
ALICO Building
Location within Texas
ALICO Building is located in the United States
ALICO Building
ALICO Building (the United States)
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts
Address425 Austin Street
Town or cityWaco, Texas
CountryUnited States of America
Coordinates31°33′25.2″N 97°7′55.2″W / 31.557000°N 97.132000°W / 31.557000; -97.132000
Current tenantsAmerican-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas
Construction startedAugust 1910 (August 1910)
OpenedAugust 1911
Renovated1966
CostUS$755,000 (equivalent to US$24,688,500 in 2023)
Height282 feet (86 m)
Technical details
Structural systemSteel
MaterialBrick, Terra Cotta
Floor count22
Lifts/elevators3
Design and construction
Architecture firmSanguinet & Staats
Website
Official website Edit this at Wikidata
ALICO Building
Part ofWaco Downtown Historic District (ID11001094[1])
RTHL No.118[2]
Significant dates
Designated CPFebruary 3, 2012
Designated RTHL1982
References
[3]

The ALICO Building is a 22-story office building in downtown Waco, Texas, United States, located at the intersection of Austin and 5th Street.[3] The building is currently owned and operated by the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas (a subsidiary of Industrial Alliance). At 282 feet (86 m) tall, it is currently the tallest building in Waco.[4]

History

Postcard displaying downtown Waco, including the ALICO building (circa 1913)
The ALICO building looming over the destroyed downtown area of Waco, in the aftermath of the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak

The ALICO building was built in 1910 by the architectural firm Sanguinet & Staats for the Amicable Life Insurance Company at a cost of US$755,000 (equivalent to US$24,688,500 in 2023), and was completed in one year.[4][5][6] It is the second oldest skyscraper built in Texas as well as the oldest skyscraper in Texas still standing, after the Praetorian Building in Dallas, built in the year prior to ALICO,[7] was demolished in 2013.

The ALICO Building was not heavily damaged by the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak, unlike many buildings in downtown Waco.[3] It swayed several feet when directly hit by the tornado, although the building escaped severe damage or collapse.[5][8]

In 1965, Amicable Life Insurance Company and American Life Insurance Company merged to become the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company, the current tenant of the building. In 1966, the building underwent renovations, including the addition of the large neon sign at the top of the building displaying the acronym "ALICO".[4]

In 1982, the ALICO building was designated a historical landmark by the Texas Historical Commission.[2] In 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Waco Downtown Historic District.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Waco Downtown Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  2. ^ a b "Details for ALICO Building (Atlas Number 5309000118)". Texas Historical Commission. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08. Alt URL
  3. ^ a b c "ALICO Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  4. ^ a b c "History of the ALICO Building". ALICO Building. Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  5. ^ a b Ryan, Terri; Fiedler, Randy (2011-04-08). "The story of the ALICO building: 100 years, 22 stories and 1 towering ego". Waco Tribune. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  6. ^ Baughman, Kyle; Sawyer, Amanda. "Amicable (ALICO) Building". Waco History. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08. Alt URL
  7. ^ "Praetorian Building". Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08. Alt URL
  8. ^ Troessner, John. "Ten Things You Should Know About the ALICO Building of Waco". Texas Escapes. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  9. ^ "Waco considers making ALICO building a local historic landmark". KXXV. 2018-06-23. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08. Alt URL

Further reading

  • Postcard displaying downtown Waco, including the ALICO building (circa 1913)
    Postcard displaying downtown Waco, including the ALICO building (circa 1913)
  • The ALICO building looming over the destroyed downtown area of Waco, in the aftermath of the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak
    The ALICO building looming over the destroyed downtown area of Waco, in the aftermath of the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak
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