113 of 254: Tyler County Courthouse, Woodville, Texas. County Population: 21,766
Tyler County, Texas
|
"Tyler County is in southeastern Texas near the Louisiana border. County is bounded on the north and east by the Neches River. The county comprises 908 square miles of the East Texas timberlands, an area densely forested with pine and a great variety of hardwoods. The land is gently rolling, with an elevation ranging from 100 to 400 feet above sea level.
"The settlement by whites of what was to become Tyler County began before the time of the Texas Revolution in 1836. Three Americans received land grants there from Mexican authorities in 1834, and thirty-four more men and one woman, Jane Taylor, received grants during 1835. The area was originally organized in 1842 under the name of Menard District, "for judicial and other purposes," from a part of Liberty County. Tyler County was officially established by the Texas legislature on April 3, 1846, and was named in honor of President John Tyler. "In 1842 Town Bluff, one of two early settlements, became the temporary county seat. In 1845 a permanent location was chosen. This was the site of the present county seat, Woodville, on 200 acres of land donated by Dr. Josiah Wheat in the forks of Turkey Creek. Woodville was named in honor of George T. Wood, who introduced the bill to establish the county and was the second governor of the state of Texas." Megan Biesele, "TYLER COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online |
I visited Tyler County and photographed the courthouse in Woodville on August 21, 2011 and August 16, 2015.
Tyler County Courthouse 1891"After the creation of Tyler County in 1846 and the subsequent selection of Woodville as county seat, this block was set aside for use as the courthouse square and the first courthouse was com-pleted by February 1849. In November 1890, the Tyler County commissioners court, with county judge Henry West presiding, elected to build a new center of county government and authorized the sale of bonds to finance the construction. The Corpus Christi architectural firm of Glover and Hodges designed the new court-house in typically eclectic Victorian-era fashion, incorporating elements of the Second Empire, Gothic and Mediterranean styles. Despite problems during construction in 1891, contractors M. A. McKnight and McKnight completed the courthouse in early 1892. In 1935-1937 the county undertook a massive courthouse remodeling project with Works Progress Administration funds. Efforts to modernize the building at this time resulted in the removal of its more high style elements and the construction of a rear addition. Character-defining features from the original design, such as the windows and central tower remain, however."
From the Texas Historic Marker text |
Photograph courtesy THC
|
The front of the courthouse is on W. Bluff Street (US 190) and faces north
June 19, 2020: The tower has been removed
At least they didn't cover the original cornerstone with stucco in the 1930's alterations
|
Photograph, circa 1939, courtesy TXDOT
|
The 1891 building in the foreground and the 1930's addition beyond
|
A monumental stair was added in the 1030's
|
View looking north from the second floor entrance to the courthouse
The "new" clock tower
|
Original 1891 windows survived the alterations
|
The south facade of the courthouse was constructed in 1935-37 as an addition on the W. Wheat Street side of the square
The west side of the courthouse on Charlton Street
The "modern" facade and tower are sad reminders of what they replaced
Spring 2021: Repairs to the exterior including rebuilding the window frames
A fresh coat of paint!
This building is on the northeast corner of the square, in the shadow of the courthouse
The County Clerk's offices are on the west side of the square
The First Baptist Church is southwest of the courthouse square, on W. Wheat Street
McDaniel-Wheat House directly south of the courthouse square, 1848 and later