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Photograph of Praetorian Building
Photograph by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Praetorian Building

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

From the record

“The Praetorian Building is a historic 7-story building located at 601 Franklin Avenue in Waco, McLennan County, Texas. Designed by the Dallas architectural firm of C.”

Wikipedia article Praetorian Building (Waco, Texas), CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 25 National Register listings published here for McLennan County · listed in 1984 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. 601 Franklin Ave., Waco, 76701
  • When was it listed? July 1984
  • Category. building
  • Census division. Waco
  • Architectural style. Chicago School
  • National Register reference number. 84001911 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

663 since 2001

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 663 fires within 5 miles of Praetorian Building between 2001 and 2020, burning about 994 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning488
Missing data/not specified/undetermined113
Power generation/transmission/distribution20
Recreation and ceremony12
Smoking12
Equipment and vehicle use11
Misuse of fire by a minor4
Natural2
Arson/incendiarism1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2530031
9 September 2017Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service17-2520007
9 September 2017Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service17-2520018
8 September 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2510033
8 September 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2510037
7 September 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2500034
7 September 2016Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service16-2510003
6 September 2019Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2490037

Every fire recorded in McLennan County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 11 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Praetorian Building: 10 producers, 1 past producer. 10 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Silica. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Pendley PitSilicaProducer
Universal Atlas Clay PitClayProducer
Universal Atlas Cement PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Waco Quarry & PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Bosqueville Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Burt Plant & PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
H and B No 1Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
H and B No 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Luckett PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Neeley Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in McLennan County

Storms near this property

60 of 121 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Waco, the town this property stands in, in 121 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 52 thunderstorm wind, 40 hail, 18 flash flood, 4 lightning. The reports record 1 death. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 1996Flash FloodWaco1 killedno account filed
April 2023HailWaco$4,000,000Large hail up to 4.5 inches was reported 2 miles east of Waco. Numerous vehicles and buildings were damaged from the large hail that fell in and around Waco.
May 2006Tornado (F2)Waco$3,000,000A tornado was reported on Waco Drive by the media, just north of the damage swath produced by the downburst. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth found that a tornado formed south of New Road and just west of Spur 298 (Franklin Avenue), or just north of Richland Mall. The tornado reached its peak intensity of lower F2 and did the most damage just east of Spur 298. Several commercial buildings had large sections of their roofs and walls damaged. A Coca-Cola Bottling Plant lost much of its roof and most of its inventory was damaged. A spokesman for the company stated that the tornado did well over $1 million worth of damage. An owner of an auto repair shop which was badly damaged estimated damages at $600,000. A horse barn owned by Baylor University was leveled and two horses killed. Numerous trees were downed and power lines snapped in and east of this area. The circulation weakened as it approached Interstate 35, and the tornado dissipated approximately three-fourths of a mile east of Interstate 35. A countywide disaster declaration was issued by the McLennan County judge.
April 2006Tornado (F1)Waco$200,000The National Weather Service in Fort Worth conducted a damage survey of the tornado that occurred in eastern Waco. Damage was first noted south of Kendall Lane, approximately 1.25 miles west of Loop 340. The tornado partially collapsed a two story house and damaged two other houses and numerous barns and outbuildings as it moved north-northeast between Kendall Lane and Orchard Lane. Several trees were also knocked down. The tornado dissipated north of Orchard Lane and deposited debris in a field to the north. Two people were injured as well as several horses.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindWaco$150,000Report from channel 25 in Waco. The west side of Waco was the hardest hit section of town by the high winds. One business was unroofed, with numerous reports of trees blown onto homes, and power lines blown down.
November 1996Thunderstorm WindWaco$150,000no account filed
June 2014Thunderstorm WindEast Waco$100,000Strong thunderstorm winds damaged the 18-foot tall, 5,900-pound statue on top of the McLennan County Courthouse. The statue of Themis lost her left arm. The arm was made of lightweight metal.
September 1996Heavy RainWaco$100,000no account filed
April 2023HailEast Waco$60,000Golf ball sized hail was reported on the Baylor Campus.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindWaco$50,000A 10-12 diameter, 60-foot-tall oak tree fell on a house and several vehicles near North 18th Street and Columbus Avenue in Waco. The roof and porch of the house was damaged, and the fallen tree also damaged 3 vehicles.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindWaco$50,000The roof was blown off a building on the east side of Waco at the TSTI Airport.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindWaco$30,000Windows were broken in a hospital and a business was unroofed. Trees were blown down at Loop 340 and Highway 6.
February 2009Thunderstorm WindWaco$25,000A transformer was blown over in Waco. Several road and stop signs were down in Downtown Waco and 20 to 30 windows were blown out of an apartment building on Austin Avenue and 13th Street. A tree was blown onto a house on Morrow Avenue. Power lines were also down in Waco.
April 2011HailWaco$25,000no account filed
January 1996Thunderstorm WindWaco$25,000no account filed
August 2008Flash FloodWaco$20,000High water rescues were required in the 4000 block of Herring Avenue and North 19th Street where a high water rescue was required. Water was two-feet deep on Waco Drive and 12th, 20th, and 24th Streets. At least ten cars stalled near the intersection of Dallas Street and Carver Avenue, and Skeet Eason Drive and Flat Rock Road were also flooded.
September 1996Flash FloodWaco$20,000no account filed
April 2019Thunderstorm WindWaco$15,000A trained spotter reported large trees down in the city of Waco, TX.
April 2018HailWaco$10,000A trained spotter reported two-inch diameter hail off of Hwy 84 in the city of Waco, TX.
February 2009Thunderstorm WindEast Waco$10,000A roof was blown off a restaurant near Baylor University.
April 1999Thunderstorm WindWaco$10,000Numerous buildings lost shingles and a garage collapsed due to thunderstorm winds. A fence was knocked down by a trampoline.
April 2009Heavy RainEast Waco$7,000A car driver hydroplanned and flipped at Forrest Street and Interstate 35 in Waco. The driver sustained minor injuries.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindWaco$6,000Large limbs downed power lines and caused power outages across the county.
March 2004Thunderstorm WindWaco$6,000A barn was unroofed between Axtell and Leroy.
October 2014HailEast Waco$5,000Golf ball sized hail was reported just east of Baylor University.
October 2014Thunderstorm WindWaco$5,000Broadcast media reported an overturned semi truck near Hwy 84 and Central Parkway in Waco, TX.
October 2014Thunderstorm WindWaco$5,000Emergency management reported apartment building damage in Waco, TX.
October 2014Thunderstorm WindWaco$5,000Broadcast media reported roof damage to a strip shopping center on Bosque Blvd.
May 2014LightningWaco$5,000Lightning started a house fire in the 2700 block of Alexander Ave in Waco.
May 2014LightningWaco$5,000Lightning started a house fire near the intersection of North 17th St and Colcord Ave in Waco.
May 2006HailWaco$5,000Golf ball-size hail was reported near 40th Street and Columbus Avenue.
October 2001Thunderstorm WindWaco$5,000Fences were blown down by high winds.
April 1998LightningWaco$5,000A lightning strike started a fire in a vacant house.
June 1998LightningWaco$4,000Lightning started a house fire.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindWaco$4,000Strong winds blew down trees and power lines.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindWaco$4,000Strong winds blew down trees and power lines.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindWaco$2,000Trees and tree limbs were blown down due to strong thunderstorm winds in Waco.
April 2010Thunderstorm WindEast Waco$2,000A 55 MPH wind gust was estimated at the Baylor Discovery Center on University Parks Drive.
June 1996Thunderstorm WindWaco$2,000no account filed
January 1996Thunderstorm WindWaco$2,000no account filed
January 2017Thunderstorm WindWaco$1,000A social media report indicated that shingles were blown off of a home in Waco, TX.
October 2014Thunderstorm WindWaco$1,000Amateur radio reported that a stage was blown down at the Heart of Texas State Fair.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindWaco$1,000Tree limbs were down in west Waco. The power was out for about 2,500 customers in Waco.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindWaco$1,000A large tree was blown across a road in downtown Waco.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindWaco$1,000Thunderstorm winds caused trees to blow down in a city park. Some windows were blown out in the downtown area.
August 1995Thunderstorm WindWaco$1,000A sign was blown down by high winds.
November 2011HailEast Waco$500Dime sized hail covered the ground at the Baylor University campus.
May 2025HailEast Waco-Emergency manager reported nickel sized hail at the Waco EOC.
May 2024Flash FloodWaco-Emergency management reported roads closed just north of Beverly Hills.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindWaco-A public report indicated trees snapped near Franklin and 7th in downtown Waco.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindWaco-A public report indicated 3-inch tree limbs and power poles broken.
May 2024Flash FloodEast Waco-Report from mPING: Street/road flooding; Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.
May 2024Flash FloodEast Waco-Broadcast media reported multiple flooded roads throughout Waco.
May 2024Flash FloodEast Waco-Emergency management reported multiple closed roads due to high water near and west of I-35 in Waco, TX.
April 2019HailWaco-Broadcast media reported quarter size hail in the city of Waco, TX.
June 2019HailWaco-A social media report indicated dime to quarter size hail in the city of Waco, TX.
April 2018HailWaco-Amateur radio reported nickel sized hail near the intersection of I-35 and Torres Road in the city of Waco, TX.
March 2016FloodWaco-A public report was received stating that the 1800 through 2900 block of Franklin Avenue in Waco, TX was impassible due to high water.
April 2012HailWaco-Quarter sized hail was reported on the northwest side of Waco.
November 2011HailWaco-Brief dime to nickel sized hail fell on the south side of Waco at I-35 and New Road.

Every storm recorded in McLennan County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Waco Downtown Historic District0.1 miles2012
Waco Drug Company0.1 miles2008
McClennan County Courthouse0.2 miles1978
Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company Building0.2 miles1983
McCulloch House0.3 miles1972
Fort House0.3 miles1970

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 84001911 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
McLennan CountyAll 25 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.