Ellis County Woman's Building (Davis Hall)
Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Dallas architect Bertram C. Hill designed this building, erected in 1925-26 on land deeded by Quincy Davis Getzendaner for a public park and a "rest room" for rural women who came to town with their families on market days. Intended in part as a memorial to Mrs. Getezndaner's parents, the building includes an auditorium called Davis Hall. Built with financial support from the city, county and local women's clubs, the Woman's Building exhibits Tudor Revival design features in its arched entryways, cross gables, casement windows and patterned brickwork. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2006
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1925-26 on land deeded by Quincy Davis Getzendaner, the Ellis County Woman's Building answered a very practical need: a place where rural women who came to town on market days could rest. Funded by the city, county, and local women's clubs, the Tudor Revival building included an auditorium called Davis Hall and stood as a memorial to Mrs. Getzendaner's parents. It gave women a public space of their own in the courthouse town of Waxahachie.
Why it matters
The building reflects how organized women's clubs in the early twentieth century won dedicated civic spaces, carving out public room for women's work and community life.
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Related people
- · Quincy Davis Getzendaner
Themes & tags
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