I realized when I came back later in the day and photographed the Cotton Belt at sunset, that what appears to be a very simple, unornamented building is actually a very complex, and richly decorated building, if you look in the right places.

First of all, the gentle curve at the top of the parapet wall is clearly reminiscent of Egyptian architecture, as subtle as it is.

The most exciting part, however, is the elaborate Beaux-Arts decoration around the office portion of the building.

The terracotta sign, identifying the building, is a beautiful shade of green, only partially ruined by a graffitist.

The door is a true gem, looking as splendid as the door to any bank built about the same time.

Above the doorway is another shield, ornamented with the bounty brought into the depot.

The small detail of the bay window, presumably for the foreman’s office, is a nice touch, and one not immediately noticeable from up close.

The bricks of the loading yards are still there, slowly being choked by weeds, some of which are actually quite beautiful. When I was there, wildflowers of all different colors had sprouted throughout the depot yards.

Tomorrow, we will go inside the slender building and look at its interior.Here is the location from satellite images.