199 of 254 Maverick County Courthouse, Eagle Pass, Texas. County Population: 58,098
"Maverick County is in the northwestern section of the Rio Grande plain region in southwest Texas. The Rio Grande forms Maverick County's western and international border with Mexico; the county is bordered on the north by Kinney County, on the east by Zavala County, and on the south by Webb County. The county is triangular in shape and contains 1,287 square miles. Elevations range from 540 feet in the southern part to 960 feet in the northern part. Less than 1 percent of the land is considered prime farmland. The terrain along the Rio Grande is characterized by rough hills overlooking a mile-wide stretch of irrigated farmland.
"The much-traveled Camino Real (Old San Antonio Road) crosses the Rio Grande in southern Maverick County, a part of Texas traversed by more early Spanish explorers and settlers than any other section of the state. "[William] Cazneau and San Antonio banker John Twohig, who owned much of the land in future Maverick County along the Rio Grande and who at one time leased the property of Fort Duncan to the federal government, laid out a plan of Eagle Pass in 1850. "Maverick County was carved from Kinney County and named for Samuel A. Maverick in 1856. Although the county was established in 1856 it was not until September 4, 1871, that it was officially organized [with Eagle Pass as the county seat]." Ruben E. Ochoa, "MAVERICK COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online |
I visited Maverick County and photographed the courthouses in Eagle Pass on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, 2014.
Maverick County Courthouse 1885"The Maverick County Courthouse was designed by the architectural firm of Wahrenberger and Beckman of San Antonio. Erected in 1885, the building is of the Romanesque Revival style with Second Empire influences.
"The original plan was in the form of a square with a corridor extending through the center. Following a typical pattern, the main offices were located on the ground floor, and the courtroom, along with secondary offices, was situated on the second floor. "The exterior corners of the building are chamfered, thereby softening the mass. The graceful tower with clocks terminates the composition. In this tower, which is accesible by a stair, the arched forms of the openings in the main mass are repeated." From the National Register narrative The courthouse was restored and re-dedicated on October 13, 2005. |