Waco State Home

In 1919, the 36th Texas Legislature established a "state home for dependent and neglected children" in Waco to provide these children with care, training, and education. The Waco State Home, as it later was renamed, officially opened in 1922. Located on a hill that then overlooked the city of Waco, the campus was situated on land that had been part of Camp MacArthur, an early 20th Century Army training camp. Two brick dormitories were constructed to house the children, although additional facilities were built as needed. During the late 1930s, enrollment reached nearly 400 children. Houseparents provided supervision for those who lived on campus. Until the mid-1950s, the Waco State Home operated as an Independent School District to provide an education for dependent and neglected children. The home also managed a farm on the property, producing much of the food consumed by the residents. Its yields included dairy products, vegetables, and livestock feed. Until 1979, when the facility was closed, the Waco State Home provided care, training, and education to hundreds of needy children during their formative years, many of its former students have become active citizens of communities throughout the state. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986

Waco State Home is a historical marker in Waco, McLennan County, dedicated in 1986. It is one of 198 historical markers documented in McLennan County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 224 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.5797, -97.1699 near Waco. The nearest cataloged historic site is Camp MacArthur, World War I Training Camp (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Texas Christian University, Old Site of, Hogle Cabin, and Methodist Home, The.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5309005693. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.