The ALICO Building is a 22-story office building in downtown

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, located at the intersection of Austin and 5th Street. The building is currently owned and operated by the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas (a subsidiary of Industrial Alliance). At tall, it is currently the tallest building in Waco.

History

Waco TX - Austin Street from 6th Street - Alico Building

The ALICO building was built in 1910 by the architectural firm Sanguinet & Staats for the Amicable Life Insurance Company at a cost of (equivalent to in ), and was completed in one year. It is the second oldest skyscraper built in Texas as well as the oldest skyscraper in Texas still standing, after the

Praetorian Building The Praetorian Building, also known as Stone Place Tower, was a 15-story, high-rise constructed in 1909 at Main Street and Stone Street in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas. It was regarded the first skyscraper in Texas and th ...

in Dallas, built in the year prior to ALICO, was demolished in 2013. The ALICO Building was not heavily damaged by the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak, unlike many buildings in downtown Waco. It swayed several feet when directly hit by the tornado, although the building escaped severe damage or collapse. In 1965, Amicable Life Insurance Company and American Life Insurance Company merged to become the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company, the current tenant of the building. In 1966, the building underwent renovations, including the addition of the large neon sign at the top of the building displaying the acronym "ALICO". In 1982, the ALICO building was designated a historical landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. In 2012, it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

as part of the Waco Downtown Historic District.

History

References

Further reading