Historical Marker
Hancock Building
Historical marker location:
203 S College St., Waxahachie, Texas
( 203 S. College St., Waxahachie)
Marker installed: 1984
Businessman William F. Lewis and Ellis County Judge M.B. Templeton built this Victorian commercial structure in 1890. Decorative brickwork and cast iron columns highlight the facade. William Pitt Hancock (1872-1955), a well-known defense attorney, purchased the property in 1907 to house his law office. A grocery store, justice of the peace, and real estate and insurance offices have also occupied the Hancock building.
The first oil well in the United States was drilled in Texas in 1859. The discovery of oil transformed the economy of the state and helped to make Texas one of the wealthiest states in the nation.