170 Midland County

170 of 254 Midland County Courthouse, Midland, Texas. County Population: 171,238

Midland County, Texas

"Midland County extends across 939 square miles of flat land broken by draws and covered by scattered mesquite.
"There are no rivers or any other permanent surface waters in the county.
"The county was named for its location halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railway.
"Ranching began in the area after Herman Garrett shipped sheep from California to El Paso on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Garrett drove 300 sheep across the Pecos River, at the present site of the town of Midland, before moving on to Mustang Draw and settling in as the county's first permanent settler. Promotions by the Texas and Pacific Railway, which built into the area in 1881, brought other sheepmen to what is now Midland County.
"Cattle were introduced after ranchers discovered that abundant water could be obtained from wells. In 1885, when 300 people were living in the area, the Texas state legislature established Midland County from lands previously assigned to Tom Green County, and the county was organized later that same year.
"The town of Midland, [like the county,] originally named 'Midway' to suggest its place on the Fort Worth-El Paso rail line, became county seat.
John Leffler, "MIDLAND COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online

I visited Midland County and photographed the courthouses in Midland on Saturday, July 28, 2012. I stopped by again on May 11, 2014.

The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland features a comprehensive collection of oil rigs and pumps

"Welcome to The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum! Founded in 1975 by George T. Abell, the Museum tells the story of petroleum and the rugged lives of men and women who sought a better life. What started as a dream of one man in 1957 has, over time, become the nation’s largest museum dedicated to the petroleum industry and its pioneers."

The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum's outdoor collection

The Midland Central Business District, viewed from the south, on Texas Highway 349

Midland County Courthouse 1906

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

William Martin, Builder. Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

Midland County Courthouse 1930

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

Voelcker & Dixon, Architects. Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

The Wichita Falls architectural firm of (Herbert) Voelcher & (Jesse) Dixon designed the 1930 Midland County courthouse. The building combined Modern elements - massing and the regular, efficient floor plan of an office building - with a simplified and stylistic classicism. Unfortunately, in 1971-74, the son of Jesse Dixon Sr, Jesse Dixon Jr, principal in the firm of Dixon Staley & Associates, designed a "new" courthouse for Midland County. The 1974 building was wrapped around and over the 1930 courthouse, designed by his father. The altered courthouse included an additional floor, housing the county jail, and a pre-cast concrete facade that, like the neighboring Ector County courthouse in Odessa, presented a new, contemporary face for the county government.
"The 1930 courthouse remains intact, concealed from view only by the exterior renovation in the 1970s. In 2007 the Texas Historical Commission came to Midland to examine the status of the 1930 structure. Architects got inside the renovation facade and found the exterior of the original building to be intact, the sculpted eagles hidden from view but undisturbed." The Evolution of the Midland County Courthouses

Midland County Courthouse 1974

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

Dixon & Staley, Architects

"Today, except for the fifth-floor jail, the old courthouse sits vacant, awaiting the wrecking ball or historical preservation." - Judge John Hyde

Sign on the 1930/74 courthouse door

No, this isn't a Chevy truck ad! It just looks like one...

The Statue of Liberty has been removed as of May 11, 2014

2014: I don't expect to see this building again

The courthouse entrance is shaded by a large oak

Update: May 11, 2014, the cornerstones have been removed from the building. Demolition can't be far off

Is it just me, or does this courthouse look a lot like the Taylor County courthouse (1972) in Abilene?

The 1930/74 courthouse stood empty from 2010 to 2013 while the County tried to find another use the for building. Failing to do so, Midland County sold the building to the City of Midland in March 2013. It was unoccupied for many years, until it was demolished (see below)

The Petroleum Building (1928) is on the north side of the historic courthouse square

Midland County Courthouse 2010

Not surprisingly, the 1930/74 courthouse building couldn't provide adequate space as the county grew in population. Given the design and the location, there isn't any way to expand the building. So, the resourceful county ad-ministration decided to take advantage of what the city of Midland had in abundance, thanks to the 1980's boom and bust economy, an empty office building! The Heritage-CBS Building, built in 1982, was available. Here's a description from a sales/leasing site for the building:
"Class "A" office building in the heart of Midland, Texas. 233,500 GSF building of 1982 Vintage with approximately five acre site and parking. Excellent condition! Former Texaco headquarters in Midland. Eleven story tower of glistening glass. Pentagon design allows each floor to have terrific window exposure for natural light and open atmosphere.
Varied floorplans allow for single floor user with open bay design or other floors divisible with individual office suites for multi-tenant floors.
Situated on its own city block in downtown Midland, home of President Bush. There are approximately 571 surface parking spaces. The topo-graphy for all the parcels is level. (duh, this is Midland.) Corporate headquarters, administrative offices, support or back office operations are well suited to the building."
Apparently, Midland County made them an offer they couldn't refuse for the
building. The design firm of Parkhill Smith & Cooper planned the con-version of the office building for the county.

The south facade of the current courthouse

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the county began moving into the new $31.6 million courthouse building in August 2010 and closed the 30/74 courthouse building (except for the jail on the top floor) on September 16, prior to opening the new courthouse on Thursday, September 23, 2010.