032 of 254: Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Texas. County Population: 83,776
"The coastal area that includes Orange County was highly contested during the colonization period. Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, under the Spanish flag, came to the area in 1519 to map the coastline. He named the Sabine River (San Francisco de Sabenas) after the cypress trees he found.
"Border disputes between Spain and the United States continued until the Adams-Onís Treaty was signed in 1819, fixing the western border of the United States at the mouth of the Sabine River. "Orange County was carved from Jefferson County on January 5, 1852, and its county seat was located at Madison. Confusion with Madisonville prompted the name change to Orange in 1858 at the time of the town's incorporation. Orange had been known by a variety of names; Strong's Bluff, Huntley, Green's Bluff, Jefferson, and Madison. Most sources cite the orange grove planted by early settlers at the mouth of the Sabine River for explanation of the town's name. County growth centered around Orange. Because of its proximity to the Gulf and serving as gateway to Texas and the West, the city quickly developed as both a maritime and cultural center." Alan S. Mason, "ORANGE COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online I visited Orange County and photographed the courthouse in Orange on December 30, 2009 and on April 5, 2012. |
Orange County courthouse 1937The current courthouse dates from 1937 and like many courthouses in Texas from this era, it was made possible with WPA funds. This moderne style building was designed by Charles Henry Page, architect. During his more than sixty years of practice Page's firm grew substantially in size and prestige and designed hundreds of schools and courthouses. The firm continues today as Page Southerland Page.
The 1937 courthouse acquired "wings" on the east and west sides in 1964. Gale Cook was the architect. |
"The Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas, began as a vision of H.J. Lutcher Stark. As early as 1927 H.J. Lutcher Stark had discussed with associates his hope of someday opening a museum. His interest in the arts followed that of his mother, Miriam Lutcher Stark, an enthusiastic collector of art, furniture, and decorative items from around the world. Lutcher Stark developed a similar passion for collecting, with a particular interest in nature and art depicting the American West. Lutcher Stark began building his collection as an undergraduate at the University of Texas, when he started purchasing works from Texas artists. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he began collecting American Indian objects from New Mexico.
"Inspired by their shared passion, Nelda and Lutcher Stark founded the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation in 1961 to enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas through education and the arts. Although Lutcher Stark had envisioned a museum in his hometown of Orange, Texas, he did not live to see it accomplished. Upon his death in 1965, the majority of the art collection in Lutcher Stark’s Estate passed to the Foundation. Under Nelda C. Stark’s direction, the Foundation built the Stark Museum of Art, which opened on November 29, 1978. The Foundation continues today to acquire additional works of art for the collections." http://www.starkmuseum.org/getdoc/f843a05f-064a-4eff-92ce-96a4c6153cd8/History.aspx
"Inspired by their shared passion, Nelda and Lutcher Stark founded the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation in 1961 to enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas through education and the arts. Although Lutcher Stark had envisioned a museum in his hometown of Orange, Texas, he did not live to see it accomplished. Upon his death in 1965, the majority of the art collection in Lutcher Stark’s Estate passed to the Foundation. Under Nelda C. Stark’s direction, the Foundation built the Stark Museum of Art, which opened on November 29, 1978. The Foundation continues today to acquire additional works of art for the collections." http://www.starkmuseum.org/getdoc/f843a05f-064a-4eff-92ce-96a4c6153cd8/History.aspx
"A church is ordinarily built as a result of initiative from its congregation. The history of the Lutcher Memorial Church in Orange, Texas, is dramatically different. Mrs. Frances Ann Lutcher arranged privately for it to be built and ensured its preservation by endowing it liberally. She then donated it to the First Presbyterian Church. It was a magnificent gift; the structure is a fine realization of the Classical Revival style. The elegance of its lines and proportions is amplified by the rich materials of the sumptuous interior. Orange can boast of several fine buildings, but the Lutcher Church stands alone & the most beautiful and well-defined stone edifice there." From the National Register narrative