After a full day of driving and photographing, I spent Friday night in Marshall.  The desk clerk at the Hampton Inn (plug) recommended drinks and dinner at the OS2 on the courthouse square (plug).  It was a good suggestion.  Drinks (once I "joined" the club) and dinner at the OS2 bar were excellent.  Here's a photograph:

I spent a couple of hours in Marshall on Saturday morning.  First up was a visit to the Texas & Pacific Railway depot and museum.  Marshall was once home to the T&P's main shops and a large yard.  The T&P even operated a private hospital in Marshall for its employees!  Not so much anymore, but the depot has been restored and serves a pair of Amtrak trains every day.  Here's the station: 

Next, I photographed the "new" Harrison County courthouse, circa 1964.  It's not going to win any awards, but at least it keeps its distance from the main attraction, the historic courthouse.  Take a look:

Speaking of the historic courthouse, here's another view of this magnificent building:

Leaving Marshall, I drove west on US 80, the old east-west highway now replaced by I-20.  In half an hour I was in Longview, seat of Gregg County.  The Gregg County courthouse dates from the 1932, with a looming, and I mean really looming, addition on the west side.  Architects can be so thoughtless.  On the other hand, the courthouse square is beautifully landscaped.  There were two groups of photographers/models on the property while I was there.  Apparently, the courthouse grounds are THE place to have your picture taken in Longview.

South of Gregg County is Rusk County.  The county seat is Henderson.  Just southwest of Rusk County is Cherokee County.  Its county seat is Rusk.  Very confusing!  Anyway, Rusk County has a run of the mill early 20th century courthouse, located not on the town square, but a block north of the very large and busy square.  Here it is:

Leaving Rusk County, I drove south and west to Rusk, seat of Cherokee County.  The 1941 Cherokee County courthouse is a typical WPA design in the center of the town square.  Thankfully, no additions have been attempted!

Warning:  more railroads ahead.
Rusk is the western terminal of the Texas State Railroad.  This historic shortline provides tourists with a nice trip through the woods between Rusk and Palestine (Texas).  I rode it in the early 1980's and my only lasting memory is how dreadfully hot it was that summer day.  Here's a roadside view of the line's "to be restored" yard on US 84. 

West of Rusk is Palestine, seat of Anderson County, the first county in Texas, alphabetically speaking.  The Anderson County courthouse is located on top of a hill, in the center of a square, but not in the center of town.  The town center is a good half a mile away.  Regardless, the courthouse, from 1914, is a lovely neo-classical building that gives the downtown folks something to look at:. 

Before turning towards Houston and home, I stopped across the street from the courthouse to have my car "express" washed and detailed.  Unfortunately, I grew tired of waiting for my turn and so returned home with a dirty car!

I'm on my first courthouse road trip of 2012.  Left Houston at noon today and drove north to Huntsville, then northeast to Groveton in Trinity County.  The Trinity County courthouse restoration is complete!  What a beautiful building it is.  Here's a photograph taken today:

From Groveton I drove north and east through beautiful East Texas forests to Lufkin.  I photographed the Angelina County courthouse for the second time and then headed north to Nacogdoches and east to Center, in Shelby County.  I photographed the "new" Shelby County courthouse and turned north, to Carthage, in Panola County.
Panola County is my first county of 2012.  It's number 130 on my list.  The old courthouse, a copy of the one in neighboring Shelby County, is gone, leaving behind an empty, but beautifully landscaped, courthouse square.  The current courthouse is a couple of blocks away.   Here it is:

I ended the day in Harrison County (#131).  The Harrison County courthouse in Marshall is one of the finest buildings in Texas!  This J. Riely Gordon design is superb.  A newer courthouse has taken its place but it is nothing compared to this one on the square in Marshall:

I'll visit several counties in East Texas before returning home tomorrow.

The Courthouses of Texas is THE guide to Texas courthouses.  I have a copy of the second edition (2007, Texas A&M University Press) and use it frequently.  It's a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Texas courthouses.  The authors, Mavis P. Kelsey Sr. and Donald H. Dyal, published the guidebook in 1993, using photographs taken by Dr. Kelsey during his travels around the state.  As I explain on the home page of this website, I first became aware of Dr. Kelsey's work when I was visiting my father at Houston's St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and came across a display of Dr. Kelsey's courthouse photographs.  His work was one of the reason I eventually decided to visit all of th 254 Texas courthouses.
Well, thanks to Joe Davidson, Houston attorney, I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting Dr. Kelsey last Wednesday, March 14, in his Houston home.  Dr. Kelsey, 99 years young, lives in a 1950's era "modern" house designed by Houston architect Ralph A. Anderson.   The house is set in "forest" along Buffalo Bayou in west Houston.  It's in original condition and was, by itself, worth the trip.

Joe and I spent an hour and a half with Dr. Kelsey, discussing his life, his many published books, and, of course, Texas courthouses.  It was a memorable experience for me and I look forward to visiting with Dr. Kelsey again. 
Point of interest:  Dr. Kelsey mentioned that he never visited Loving County, the smallest county by population in Texas.  The guidebook uses a photograph of the Loving County courthouse in Mentone that was taken by a friend of his.
Here's to Mavis Kelsey and his 100th year!