Mercedes City Hall

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Mercedes City Hall. Now, some buildings just hold offices. And some buildings tell you, the moment you lay eyes on them, that the people who built them meant business.

The Mercedes City Hall is that second kind. Constructed in 1928, this two-story structure was designed by architect R. Newell Waters of Weslaco, and from the ground up, it was built to do more than one job.

Red brick walls, cast stone detailing, a gabled roof. And sitting up top, a copper cupola, designed specifically to house the fire alarm. This wasn't just a building.

It was a statement. Now think about what was happening inside. The ground floor handled the town's municipal offices and the fire station.

The second floor, well, that's where it gets interesting. By day, it was a town meeting room, the kind of place where decisions got made and voices got raised. By night, it served as the firemen's dormitory.

The same men who'd come flying down those stairs at the sound of that copper-cupola alarm were sleeping right there above it. Ready. The building was designed in the Gothic style, which might seem a grand choice for a small Texas city hall, but that's exactly the point.

Mercedes wasn't thinking small. And that building served as the Mercedes City Hall for nearly fifty years. Not a bad run for red brick and ambition.

What the marker says

Constructed in 1928 to house the town's municipal offices and fire station, this building was designed by architect R. Newell waters of Weslaco. The two story Gothic style building, constructed of red brick, features a copper cupola designed to house the fire alarm, cast stone detailing, and a gabled roof. The second floor served as a town meeting room and firemen's dormitory. This building served as the Mercedes City Hall for nearly fifty years. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1995.