131 of 254: Harrison County Courthouse, Marshall, Texas. County Population: 65,631
Harrison County, Texas
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"The settlement of the area was well under way by the time of the Texas Revolution in 1836. A dozen Americans received land grants there from Mexican authorities in the fall of 1835. After the revolution the area filled up so rapidly that the Congress of the Republic of Texas officially established Harrison County in 1839. It was drawn from Shelby County, organized in 1842, and named for Texas revolutionary leader Jonas Harrison. Marshall, founded in 1841, became the county seat in 1842. The original county boundaries were reduced by the establishment of Panola and Upshur counties in 1846. Since then, with the exception of a small adjustment with Marion County during Reconstruction, they have remained unchanged.
"Harrison County was among the richest and most productive in antebellum Texas. "The Southern Pacific Railroad, ... became part of the Texas and Pacific Railway system during the 1870s, and the area was soon linked with Shreveport to the east, Dallas-Fort Worth to the west, and Texarkana to the north. The railroad's shops and general offices for Texas were located in Marshall. The county seat benefited from the railroad and from its position as a retail center for the surrounding area, ..." Randolph B. Campbell, "HARRISON COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online I visited Harrison County and photographed the courthouse in Marshall on March 23 and 24, 2012. This is one of my favorite Texas courthouses.
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Harrison County Courthouse 1889Architect Guy M. Tozer of the firm Tozer & McQuirk designed this Italianate style courthouse. Unforunately, or not, considering its replacement, the building was destroyed by a fire in 1899.
Harrison County Courthouse 1900
Image courtesy courthousehistory.com
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1889 Harrison County courthouse, image courtesy THC
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Image courtesy courthousehistory.com
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Image courtesy courthousehistory.com
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"J. Riely Gordon designed his first Neo-Classical Beaux Arts style Texas courthouse in 1899. Two years later, the Harrison County Courthouse was constructed of corn yellow brick and carved Lueders limestone, with entry and upper porches supported by colossal pink granite columns adorned with terra cotta capitals. Lady Justice sits on top of the cupola and eagles grace the top edge of the roof line. The interior boasts a stunning stained glass cupola and exquisite ornamental plaster and painting in the atrium and District Courtroom.
The restoration opened porches that had been enclosed, rehabilitated windows and doors, updated the building’s systems, cleaned and restored brick and limestone masonry, opened the double height courtroom, and restored and recreated ornamental finishes throughout the building. The building was rededicated June 20, 2009." From the THC website "For the Harrison County Courthouse, Gordon again used the cruciform plan developed earlier, but in response to changes in taste, he employed Italian Renaissance details and incorporated larger spaces into the cir-culation areas. On the ground floor, entrances at the reentrant angles open into a large rotunda, this concept of circulation was similar to that in his Romanesque courthouses, but the central space of the Harrison County temple is considerably more spacious than that in his earlier buildings."
From the National Register narrative Compare this courthouse to Lee, Gonzales, Ellis, and Wise counties. |
Photograph, circa 1939, courtesy TXDOT
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"Changes in the exterior of the building have been made skillfully to preserve original details. In 1924 and 1927, additions were made to the east and west
wings, respectively. At that time the porticos were moved out and the needed additional space was enclosed behind them. Other modifications include the
enclosure of the entrances and the balconies with windows on both the northeast and northwest." From the National Register narrative
wings, respectively. At that time the porticos were moved out and the needed additional space was enclosed behind them. Other modifications include the
enclosure of the entrances and the balconies with windows on both the northeast and northwest." From the National Register narrative
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Harrison County Courthouse 1964
Image courtesy courthousehistory.com
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This 1964 building is the functioning courthouse for Harrison County
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First United Methodist Church, 1861. "The First Methodist Church is one of the few examples of monumentally scaled Greek Revival church architecture in Texas."
A pair of classical designs
