Stratton-Stricker Building
Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1922, business partners Golladay Stratton, Sr. and Henry J. Stricker purchased land for their expanding furniture company. Architect Henry L. Spencer designed this 1923 neoclassical revival style building with general contractor S.B. Swigert construction. The red brick-clad building includes a basement and five stories with riveted steel framing, strong enough to withstand the devastating 1953 tornado. The building’s unique interior features a grand staircase with ornamental woodwork, pressed-tin ceiling tiles, louvered warehouse-style windows, and a winged-mezzanine level on the second floor. Until the 1980s, Stratton’s three sons operated the business. This building and the furniture company are a reminder of Waco’s original marketplace and downtown district.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1922 partners Golladay Stratton, Sr. and Henry J. Stricker bought this Waco lot for their growing furniture company, and the following year architect Henry L. Spencer designed a five-story neoclassical revival building of red brick over riveted steel. That sturdy frame carried it through the devastating 1953 tornado, and inside it kept a grand staircase, pressed-tin ceilings, and a winged mezzanine. Stratton's three sons ran the business here until the 1980s.
Why it matters
The building anchors the memory of Waco's original downtown marketplace and stands as a survivor of the 1953 tornado that leveled much of the city's core.
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Related people
- · Golladay Stratton, Sr.
- · Henry J. Stricker
Related events
- · 1953 Waco tornado
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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On the afternoon of May 11, 1953, one of the deadliest tornadoes in Texas history tore through downtown Waco, killing 114 people, destroying 346 buildings, and causing over $50 million in damage. The worst loss struck here, where 32 workers died when the R.T. Dennis Furniture Company building collapsed. Volunteers, military rescuers, and more than $9 million in donations poured in to dig out and rebuild the shattered city center.
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