MIDDLE SCHOOL'S HISTORICAL SURVEY
By RYAN REINERT AND SETH WILLIAMS

(photos top to bottom) The Coke Building with the Coke logo on the side. Inside the building with its original plank ceilings.

We did the Coke Building for Mr. Sneed's G/T Texas History project. This building is the second oldest building standing in Kilgore, they think it was built in the 1890's.

The building is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Speer and is located at 202 N. Commerce St.

This building was put on this lot by the railroad and was called Lot 1 block 1.

Pre-boom it was Whitaker Drug Store and over the years it has been the Village Post Office, Waldman's Fair Store, an art store and now it's used for storage.

The building still has some of its original features such a plank ceilings and columns from when it was built.

Even though it's called the Coke Building, most people know it as The Fair Store Building. We loved this project and hope this helped our city.

Texas history students of Dana Sneed, Maude Laird Middle School, researched the oldest of Kilgore's downtown buildings. Some of their reports will be published in coming weeks.

SETH WILLIAMS AND RYAN REINERT