Coggin and Parks Building
Brownwood, Brown County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Brothers Samuel R. Coggin (1831-1915) and Moses J. "Mody" Coggin (1824-1902), prominent area ranchers, business leaders, and philanthropists, in partnership with businessman William Claibourne "Clay" Parks (1883-1916) completed this two-story commercial building in 1876. Originally part of a larger structure, it housed a variety of businesses, including a grocery, hardware store, business college, and restaurant. Because of the primary location, the Coggin-Parks building figured prominently in the early history of Brownwood. The exterior of the structure was later altered substantially. (1981)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Completed in 1876, this two-story commercial building rose from a partnership between prominent ranchers and philanthropists Samuel R. and Moses "Mody" Coggin and businessman W.C. "Clay" Parks. Sitting on a prime downtown corner, it housed a grocery, hardware store, business college, and restaurant, and figured prominently in Brownwood's early growth. Though its exterior was later heavily altered, the building endures as a landmark of the town's frontier commercial beginnings.
Why it matters
Cattle wealth built the storefronts of Central Texas towns, and the Coggin-Parks Building shows ranchers turning range profits into the businesses that anchored a young Brownwood.
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Related people
- · Samuel R. Coggin
- · Moses J. Coggin
- · William Claibourne Parks
Themes & tags
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