The Branch Davidians: Physical Structures and Location
Dublin Core
Title
The Branch Davidians: Physical Structures and Location
Subject
Branch Davidian Blueprints and Photographs
Description
The Branch Davidian Compound resembled a blend between a suburban home and a castle. The structure is located in Waco, Texas. The exact coordinates of the compound are 31°35'45.5"N 96°59'16.2"W. The compound was surrounded by a relatively flat and plant-sparse environment.
Since the siege, several different floors plans have been published and revealed by the government. Many of these floor plans come from firsthand experiences of the survivors or interviews conducted during the siege. The first set of floor plans come from the ATF themselves based on an individual called “Block.” Block provided the ATF with a general outline of the purpose of some rooms in the house. On the first floor, there is a detailed map of the kitchen which includes a refrigeration room, a dry food room, and a storage food room. Behind the kitchen area is the men’s quarters. There is no note of a women’s quarter on this particular map. The last room noted on the first floor is the computer room. The second floor has hardly any descriptions except for Koresh’s Quarters which is directly located above the stage. Most importantly to the ATF however, was the location of the gun stash which was believed to be in Koresh’s Quarters.
The second set of maps are detailed descriptions of where the dead were found after the fire died down. The first and last names of each individual are listed as well as if there were children in the room. The number of deceased children was specified on a room-by-room basis. The majority of bodies were found on the second floor according to these maps. 76 Davidians died during the siege (Wessinger, 2020)
Since the siege, several different floors plans have been published and revealed by the government. Many of these floor plans come from firsthand experiences of the survivors or interviews conducted during the siege. The first set of floor plans come from the ATF themselves based on an individual called “Block.” Block provided the ATF with a general outline of the purpose of some rooms in the house. On the first floor, there is a detailed map of the kitchen which includes a refrigeration room, a dry food room, and a storage food room. Behind the kitchen area is the men’s quarters. There is no note of a women’s quarter on this particular map. The last room noted on the first floor is the computer room. The second floor has hardly any descriptions except for Koresh’s Quarters which is directly located above the stage. Most importantly to the ATF however, was the location of the gun stash which was believed to be in Koresh’s Quarters.
The second set of maps are detailed descriptions of where the dead were found after the fire died down. The first and last names of each individual are listed as well as if there were children in the room. The number of deceased children was specified on a room-by-room basis. The majority of bodies were found on the second floor according to these maps. 76 Davidians died during the siege (Wessinger, 2020)
Creator
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Source
“Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” Photo Gallery - Waco | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 28 Feb. 2018, https://www.atf.gov/our-history/photo-gallery/photo-gallery-waco. Johnson, Kurt. “Floor Plans.” The Ashes of Waco, 2008, https://alkeklibrarynews.typepad.com/ashesofwaco/2008/12/floor-plans.html.
Wessinger , Catherine. “The Deaths of 76 Branch Davidians in April 1993 Could Have Been Avoided – so Why Didn't Anyone Care?” The Conversation, The Conversation US, Inc., 4 Dec. 2020, https://theconversation.com/the-deaths-of-76-branch-davidians-in-april-1993-could-have-been-avoided-so-why-didnt-anyone-care-90816.
Publisher
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Date
2018 and 2008 respectively
Contributor
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kurt Johnson
Rights
Public
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Photo
Coverage
31°35'45.5"N 96°59'16.2"W
Collection
Citation
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, “The Branch Davidians: Physical Structures and Location,” ENGL 3460 -- Literature and Utopia, accessed September 19, 2024, https://mapping-nature.org/3460-fall2021/items/show/9.