Cameron Hall: A Legacy Renewed
Early Life & Business of W.W. Cameron
William Cameron arrived in America from Scotland in 1852 at age 18. He worked in railroad construction, served with Union forces during the Civil War, and later established a retail lumber yard in Missouri.
In 1876, he opened a lumberyard in Waco, and by 1890, the company had grown to more than sixty retail yards. After he died in 1899, his son William Waldo Cameron assumed leadership. By the early 1920s, the business had expanded into multiple building-material lines across three states and was valued at roughly $7 million.
About the W.W. Cameron Home
Built in 1921–22, the home—known as "Valley View"—was a wedding gift from W.W. Cameron to his wife, Helen. Their daughter, Flora, born in 1925, spent many summers there.
The name came from Valley View Farm, ancestral property from which the Cameron family donated a large portion to the City of Waco in 1910 to create what is now Cameron Park. It remains among the largest urban parks in the United States.
The Summer Home on the Hill
Completed around 1922, Valley View was a Mediterranean-style retreat overlooking the Bosque River valley. The property featured a large spring-fed pool, tennis courts, skeet shooting, pony rides, and breezes from the hilltop setting.
The Camerons used the home until 1939, when W.W. Cameron died suddenly. Helen and Flora moved to San Antonio the following year.
Transition and College Purchase
The property remained largely unused until its sale to the J.D. George family in 1954. The family operated a construction business there and later rented the home periodically to the NCO Club at James Connally Air Force Base.
In 1966, the newly formed McLennan Community College purchased 160 acres, including the Valley View home. Groundbreaking for the college campus took place on July 27, 1967, near the former tennis courts.
Mid-Life Use & Renovation
In the mid-1970s, the Waco Junior League undertook a major renovation of the deteriorating home as a bicentennial project. The restored structure opened as The Art Center of Waco on April 4, 1976, and served in that role for more than forty years.
Structural Issues & Renewal
In 2017, engineers identified significant structural failure, including a leaning east wall. For safety reasons, the Art Center relocated while studies were completed.
Based on these studies, in 2023, MCC made the painful decision to remove the original home but revitalize the historic courtyard and create a new venue on the original spot. Inspired by the spirit and vision of local businessman Clifton Robinson, generous community friends helped launch a grand new chapter for this historic site with the opening of Cameron Hall in 2025.
Cameron Hall’s thoughtful design, along with the original courtyard, pays tribute to the home’s storied history and recaptures the magic of W.W. Cameron’s original vision, now a gift to all the citizens of Waco.
