{"nrhp_refnum":"08000241","name":"Waco Drug Company","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"225 S. 5th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Waco","county":"McLennan County","state":"TX","lat":31.555375307000077,"lon":-97.13018456799995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-03-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A four-story brick and reinforced concrete warehouse with a full basement at 225 South Fifth Street, downtown Waco, Texas, built in 1925 as the headquarters of a regional drug wholesaler. It incorporates part of an earlier 1911 structure.","why_significant":"The building is tied to Waco Drug Company, founded by James Marrs Penland, which grew into the Southwestern Drug Corporation, one of the largest wholesale drug firms in the nation. It is also one of only four remaining loft-style warehouses in Waco and predates the 1953 tornado that destroyed much of downtown. It retains a high level of integrity.","narrative":"Built in 1925 at Fifth and Mary Streets in downtown Waco, this four-story warehouse served as the headquarters of Waco Drug Company, a wholesale drug business founded in 1911 by James Marrs Penland. The structure combines a poured concrete frame with brick and tile infill, steel industrial windows and a classical cast stone entry with Doric columns. Part of an earlier 1911 corner building is incorporated inside. Penland's company later merged with six other Texas firms to form Southwestern Drug Corporation, which became one of the largest drug wholesalers in the United States. The building is one of only four remaining loft-style warehouses in Waco and survived the 1953 tornado that devastated downtown. It was remodeled for offices between 2002 and 2006 with historic preservation tax incentives, keeping its exterior features and open warehouse interiors. It was listed for its role in local industry and for its architecture.","period_of_significance":"1925-1957","architect_builder":"Milton Scott and T. Brooks Pearson of Scott & Pearson, Architects, of Waco, Texas / J.E. Johnson, Contractor, of Waco, Texas","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Rehabilitated between 2002 and 2006 using the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program and converted to offices; currently in business use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.228651-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/17/9730/40973017/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/08000241.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000241/e17542da8a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000241/e17542da8a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Michael Barera","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waco_June_2016_70_(Insurors_Southwestern_Building).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Barera</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waco_June_2016_70_(Insurors_Southwestern_Building).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973017","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002662"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/mclennan-county/waco-drug-company-08000241/"}