Brazos Funeral Home - Waco Downtown Historic District - Waco, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 31° 33.129 W 097° 08.334
14R E 676654 N 3492298
Wilkirson-Hatch Funeral Home (founded 1925) built this Spanish Colonial Revival building. It was originally construct of brick.
Waymark Code: WMXQKK
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/14/2018
Views: 0
Texas Historic Site Atlas
The building was continuously renovated as the Wilkirson-Hatch business grew; the building was expanded at least five times between 1925 and 1951. The most significant addition came in 1951, with the expansion of the chapel to accommodate 300 guests. Other renovations included the expansion of the business office (as administrative needs changed, such as the requirement of a death certificate and thus the need for more filing space), the addition of a separate entrance for the family of the deceased, the addition of covered parking, and the completion of a private family seating area within the chapel (with a capacity of seventy-five).
The current facility stretches the length of the block from Austin to Washington Avenue, and contains over 50,000 square feet. Subsequent additions include a two-story service area to the east, and an annexed two-part commercial block building at the far eastern side of the property.
The Funeral Home is a low, one-story mass, clad in rough stucco; historical sources indicate the stucco is laid over brick, which was the characteristic cladding material in Waco during the 1920s. The main facade faces west onto Washington Avenue. This facade is defined by an arched portico, capped by a low-pitched side-facing gable roofed in red tile. The portico is asymmetrical, with the southem-most seven bays formed by round-headed arches. The northem two bays are wider than the others, and feature segmented arches. These later two bays signal the additions to the building, and curtently serve as covered driveway, and a private entry into the funeral service spaces. On the main facade, the building's central bay features a pedimented parapet inscribed with the business name "Brazos Funeral Home" (formerly Wilkirson-Hatch). To its north side, the central bay parapet is surmounted by a square bell-tower featuring round arch openings and capped with a hipped roof (clad in corresponding red tile).