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Historical Downtown Walking Tour |
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| Click here for a walking tour map | |
| 23. | T&P Freight Warehouse • 901 North 1st Constructed in 1929 to serve as Abilene's freight depot, this warehouse was rehabilitated and reopened in 1999. This building anchors the southwest corner of the historic district and represents the importance of the railroad in Abilene's history. |
| 24. | Alexander Building • 104 Pine Construction on the Alexander Building began in 1925 and was completed in 1927. The seven-story structure was built for Dr. James M. Alexander, a prominent physician. Dr. Alexander practiced in Abilene for more than sixty years and built the Alexander Sanitarium, which was one of the first hospitals in West Texas. This building was the first “high rise” in Abilene and housed many prominent physicians, attorneys, and other professionals. The construction of this building, also designed by David S. Castle, marked the beginning of a construction boom in mid-20s Abilene. |
End of Historical Walking Tour. |
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| The Old Weather Bureau • 1482 North 1st While not located on the walking tour proper, this historic building is located within a short drive from the downtown (see map). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Weather Bureau was constructed in 1909 to serve as the area center for the US Weather Bureau. It continued to do so until area weather services were relocated to the airport. |
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| David S. Castle the “Architect of Abilene” Born in Constantine, Michigan, in 1884 David Sharon Castle created the firm that would dominate architectural design in the Abilene region throughout most of the first half of the 20th century. Castle left home at age 15 and made his way to Chicago, Illinois. There he held several odd jobs until he eventually worked his way through night school at the Lewis Institute for two and a half years and later graduated from the Armour Institute (now Illinois Institute of Technology). He moved to Texas in 1910 and in 1913 gained employment from Fort Worth architect M. L. Waller. By 1914, Castle had moved to Abilene and started his own firm, David S. Castle & Company. Castle's company supervised the construction of many of the 1920s landmarks of downtown, such as the Wooten Hotel, the Windsor Hotel, the Mims Building, the Federal Building, and the Paramount Theatre among others. His firm also planned two remodeling projects on the Hotel Grace, and designed buildings at all three Abilene Universities as well in many other towns in the region. |
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