193 of 254  Fannin County Courthouse, Bonham, Texas.  County Population:  33,915

Fannin County, Texas

I visited Fannin County and photographed the courthouse in Bonham on Saturday, August 3, 2013.

"Fannin County comprises 895 square miles of mainly blackland, with a claypan area in the north near the Red River. The topography has little variety, with ranges of moderately rolling hills throughout the county. Fannin County has an elevation ranging between 500 and 700 feet above sea level.
"[Beginning in 1836] white settlers arrived by riverboat at Jonesborough in what is now Red River County.  Because of rapid population growth, Dr. Daniel Rowlett presented a petition to the Texas Congress on October 5, 1837, requesting that a new county be formed from a section of Red River County west of Bois D'Arc Creek. The county was originally to be named Independence, but during the course of opening debates over the bill the name was changed to Fannin, in honor of James Walker Fannin, Jr., a martyred hero of the Texas Revolution. The legislation [was] approved on December 14, 1837. "On November 28, 1839, another act was passed by Congress to define the boundaries of Fannin County, which at the time included land that later became Grayson, Collin, Cooke, Denton, Montague, Wise, Clay, Jack, Wichita, Archer, Young, Wilbarger, Baylor, Throckmorton, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Haskell, Stonewall, King, Cottle, and Childress counties, as well as parts of Hunt and Collingsworth counties. The present-day boundaries were established and approved on March 14, 1846.
"The county government was moved to Warren on January 8, 1840.
"Bois D'Arc became county seat in turn on January 16, 1843.  In 1844 Bois D'Arc was renamed Bonham in honor of James Butler Bonham, a defender of the Alamo."
Kelly Pigott, "FANNIN COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online

Westbound on US 82 in Fannin County

Fannin County Courthouse 1888

Architects Wesley Clark Dodson & Dudley designed this Second Empire - Renaissance Revival style courthouse for Fannin County.  Kane & Cormack were the contractors.  The limestone-clad building served the county until a 1929 fire caused severe damage to the structure, including the complete destruction of the tower.
Following the fire, Allen & Bragg Contractors substantially altered the courthouse.  The "new" courthouse was essentially the original 1888 building without the roof and tower.
In 1965 the courthouse was once again remodeled, this time by Architects & Engineers Fred Buford & Associates, with B-F-W Construction Co.  A new exterior stone cladding and contemporary windows in a "modern" style encapsulated the 1888 courthouse.   One building, three versions!

1888 courthouse. Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com

The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program Round IX Recipients (July 22, 2016):  Fannin County--$5,040,000 full restoration grant award for their 1888 courthouse by architect Wesley Clark Dodson. This project will reverse changes to the three-story Second Empire courthouse that were made during a 1966 renovation and in 1930 following an extensive fire. Through restoration and reconstruction, the courthouse exterior and major interior public spaces will be returned to their nineteenth century appearance. Fannin County has construction plans & specifications available for the complete project which were funded through a Round V THCPP emergency planning grant in 2008.  THIS IS AN IMPORTANT RESTORATION PROJECT!!!!

1929 courthouse. Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com

1965 courthouse. Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com

Another view of the 1929 version of the courthouse, courtesy of TXDOT

The south façade of the courthouse, on Sam Rayburn Drive, is the "front" of the building

The spartan, unadorned lines of the 1965 façade have aged well

The building's 1988 and 1965 cornerstones are on the northeast corner of the courthouse

The north façade is on 5th Street

The ubiquitous Confederate War Memorial is on the northwest corner of the courthouse square

The west façade faces Main Street

Another view of the south facade

The statue of James Bonham on the southeast corner of the courthouse square, at Sam Rayburn Drive and Center Street

Historic buildings on the square at Sam Rayburn Drive and Main Street

An historic 1930's era US Post Office, a block south of the courthouse square, on Center Street

Bonham is the home of Sam Rayburn (1882–1961), Texas legislator, congressman, and longtime speaker of the United States House of Representatives