008 of 254  Coryell County Courthouse, Gatesville, Texas.  County Population:  75,388

Coryell County, Texas

Coryell County, named for James Coryell, an early explorer of the region, was organized in 1854. Gatesville, the county seat, grew up around Fort Gates, established in 1849 to protect settlers from marauding Indians.
Land for a courthouse square was acquired and a one-story framed structure
was constructed in 1865 on a corner presently occupied by a city filling
station. In 1872, a two-story structure of native white limestone was erected on this property and served as a focus of county business for the next twenty five years.
"On May 15, 1897, architect W.C. Dodson was commissioned to draw plans and  specifications for a third courthouse at a contract price of three and half
percent of the total building cost. The only stipulations imposed on the architect were that the building have a cupola on top with a Seth Thomas Clock and a bell of not less than 800 pounds, and that the building be roofed in metal  with the dome on the cupola in clad copper. In addition, there were to be dual statues of Liberty and Justice at the north and south entrances."
From the National Register narrative

I visited Coryell County and photographed the courthouse on Thursday, May 14, 2009 and again on Tuesday, May 22, 2012.

Coryell County Courthouse 1898

Circa 1939 photo, courtesy of TXDOT.  The architect, W.C. Dodson, designed this Beaux Arts style building with Romanesque influences.  Dodson designed a number of Central Texas courthouses, including Hood, Denton, and Hill counties.

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Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

Approaching the courthouse square from the east, on Main Street.

The front of the courthouse, with the pediment, faces south and fronts on E. Leon Street. The cowboy in the white pickup truck on the left (with a dog leaning out the driver's window) slowed down after I took this photo and said to me, "It's sure purdy, ain't it?' I have to agree.

An eagle tops the courthouse. Lady Justice is on the east side of the front pediment. And, yes, the clocks work.

The corners of the Gatesville courthouse square are marked by these delightful metal boots. Size: very large.

The front entrance, on the south facade.

The south facade faces E. Leon Street.

The east facade, on 7th Street.

The north entrance, on Main Street. The cornerstone is on the left.

The cornerstone is very difficult to read but it does state: "W.C. Dodson Architect"

The west side of the courthouse, on 6th Street, is the "back" of the building, with the electrical service entrance and mechanical equipment.

The atrium on the first floor. The south entrance doors are on the left.

The central atrium has windows and balconies that overlook the first floor.

The atrium is topped by a stained glass dome, lit from above by windows in the tower.

The county annex at the corner of 7th and Leon Streets on the square.