McLennan Community College this week celebrated the opening of the $5 million Cameron Hall, an office and event venue that pays homage to the historic home it replaced.
The 8,600-square-foot facility on Highland Drive echoes the architectural details of Valley View, the Mediterranean-style summer home that lumber magnate William Waldo Cameron built for his family in 1921.
The property overlooking the Bosque River valley was acquired by MCC in the 1960s and served as the home of Art Center Waco until 2017, when structural issues forced the center to relocate.
A study found that repairing the structure would be infeasible, and MCC razed it in January 2024, making way for the new hall, made possible by community donors. It will hold college and community events and houses the MCC Foundation. Event reservations will begin in March.
The new structure has cathedral ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the valley. Artwork donated by the Flora Cameron Foundation and Art Center Waco is on display in the ball room.
“Every detail was designed to honor the past while creating a space for new memories,” said MCC President Johnette McKown.
The original courtyard of the Cameron summer home has been retained and renamed for McKown, who has been college president since 2009.
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