015 of 254 Lee County Courthouse, Giddings, Texas. County Population: 16,612
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Giddings: experience hometown hospitality!
Lee County, Texas
"The county embraces 631 square miles and has an elevation range of 270 to 970 feet. During the era of Mexican rule the Lee County area was part of the Milam District, a region extending from El Paso to the Navasota River. After Texas gained independence, the region was a part of the five adjacent counties, Bastrop, Burleson, Fayette, Milam, and Washington. Settlement in the area remained sparse until after the Texas Revolution. Then immigrants from the Southern states began moving in. In 1871 the new town of Giddings was founded, in what was then Washington County. Discussion began about the need for a new county so that residents would not have to travel so far to the county seat. A meeting of citizens from western Burleson and Washington counties and northeastern Bastrop and Fayette counties, held in January 1873, resulted in a resolution calling for the establishment of a new county to be named in honor of Robert E. Lee. The legislature passed the bill by April 1874. A boundary dispute, however, began over the western segment of Burleson County, which lawmakers had originally intended to include in a new county called Franklin County, to be formed just north of Lee County. When the Franklin County bill was indefinitely postponed, questions arose about what to do with the territory. Senator Seth Shepard introduced a bill to make the disputed area part of Lee County. The measure passed quickly and became law on May 2, 1874. Christopher Long, "LEE COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
Giddings was founded in 1871, when the Houston and Texas Central Railway came through the area. A town and a post office were established to serve communities that were bypassed. The town is usually said to have been named for Jabez Deming Giddings, a stockholder in the railroad, though some sources state that the source of the name was Dewitt C. Giddings. Local farmers raised cotton, and many businesses soon were started by residents from surrounding communities. A syndicate headed by William Marsh Rice owned the whole townsite and sold property to settlers. Later Rice Institute (now Rice University) in Houston had control and sold the lots. Giddings became the county seat when Lee County was established in 1874."
Miriam York, "GIDDINGS, TX," Handbook of Texas Online
I visited Lee County and photographed the courthouse on July 17, 2009, January 27, 2012 and on April 30, 2014.
Giddings was founded in 1871, when the Houston and Texas Central Railway came through the area. A town and a post office were established to serve communities that were bypassed. The town is usually said to have been named for Jabez Deming Giddings, a stockholder in the railroad, though some sources state that the source of the name was Dewitt C. Giddings. Local farmers raised cotton, and many businesses soon were started by residents from surrounding communities. A syndicate headed by William Marsh Rice owned the whole townsite and sold property to settlers. Later Rice Institute (now Rice University) in Houston had control and sold the lots. Giddings became the county seat when Lee County was established in 1874."
Miriam York, "GIDDINGS, TX," Handbook of Texas Online
I visited Lee County and photographed the courthouse on July 17, 2009, January 27, 2012 and on April 30, 2014.
Lee County Courthouse 1899 Photo, circa 1939, courtesy of TXDOT.
Restored in 2004, the Lee County courthouse was completed in 1899. "The Lee County Courthouse in Giddings, Texas, stands on a public block that,
unlike most squares in towns throughout the state, is surrounded by residential rather than commercial buildings. Designed by J. Riely Gordon in 1898 and built by Sonnefield, Emmins and Abright of San Antonio, the three-story red brick courthouse ...displays a combination of a variety of structural masses and is an imposing site in the predominantly residential area. From the National Register narrative |
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The northeast facade of the courthouse.
The southeast facade of the courthouse.
2012: there are significant problems with the courthouse structure.
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Movement of the foundation has caused severe cracking and dangerous structural problems. Temporary shoring has been installed while repairs are made.
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Cracks in the building caused by differential movements in the foundation.
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Cracks indicate serious foundation problems.
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The perimeter of the courthouse was unearthed and new water-protection and drainage systems installed to stablize the foundations.
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Although the courthouse was restored in 2004 it is currently undergoing emergency foundation and structural repairs, funded by the THC.
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Finally! A design for the placement of the contemporary mechanical system that doesn't distract from the historic courthouse.
The stairs are centered under the courthouse tower.
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The stairs are open to above and served as a ventilation system before air conditioning.
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Upper level of historic courtroom.
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Meeting room on the first floor.
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2014: the foundation repairs are complete
The Round VIII Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program grant recipients were announced on April 30, 2014 by the Texas Historical Commission at its quarterly meeting. Lee County: $450,000 grant award for above-grade repairs to masonry, doors, windows and interior finishes affected by structural movement which was recently addressed by foundation stabilization work. Hopefully, this next round of repairs will complete the latest restoration work.
Lee County District Court on the square.
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Lee County Clerk's Office on the square.
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Left: Lee County Heritage Center, 1879. Right: First Presbyterian Church, 1886.
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Steeple, First Presbytrian Church, 1886.
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