I left Lubbock and headed northwest on US 84. My next stop was Littlefield, seat of Lamb County.
You'll recall that day one of this trip covered over 500 miles and ended in Lubbock, on the Llano Estacado, or the Caprock in the panhandle of Texas. I spent a restful night in a Holiday Inn on Avenue Q near downtown and on Friday morning I was at the Lubbock County courthouse by 8:30 AM. The courthouse, circa 1950, is a large, blocky modern office building in the center of a city block bounded by Broadway, Texas, Main and, my favorite, Buddy Holly Avenue. At 8:30 Friday morning the streets were relatively quiet. I walked around the building and ended up at the front, which faces west, towards Texas Avenue, and an alley! Here's the shot: The NTS building in the background is, at 20 stories, the tallest building in Lubbock. Built in 1955 and designed by Abilene architect David Castle, it was originally known as the Great Plains Life Building. On May 11, 1970 an F5 tornado struck downtown Lubbock. The building was actually twisted by the tornado, and was damaged so badly, many thought it would collapse; several radio towers on the roof were twisted or broken off. Much of the plaster in the stairwell walls between the 4th and 16th floors had cracked, and 60% of the building's windows were shattered. A foot of permanent deformation damage occurred at the steel frame on the south side, and three of the building's four elevators were damaged with the support rails bent. In spite of the severity of the damage and amid cries to demolish, the owners chose to repair it instead, and it still stands; this building is believed to be the tallest building to survive a direct hit from an F5 tornado. It re-opened in 1975. Now you know. While I was photographing this side of the courthouse I saw a family arriving for a wedding, and then a young couple approached me, and asked if I would take their photograph on the courthouse steps. The woman was holding a baby in her arms. I asked them what was the occasion and learned that they had come from Minnesota to adopt this child and were due in court in a few minutes to formalize the adoption. I used their camera to take some photographs and then wished them the best for their new family. That's a first for my courthouse project! All of this before 9:00 AM . I left Lubbock and headed northwest on US 84. My next stop was Littlefield, seat of Lamb County. Littlefield is the home of Waylon Jennings. I know that because I passed the Waylon Jennings RV Park on the way into town. Lamb County is also home to Earth, a small town north and west of Littlefield. My family lived in Earth, and on Earth, from 1962 to 1964. Lamb County is one of 7 Texas counties I've called home over the years. The others are Taylor, Tarrant, Bexar, Brazos, Walker and Harris. Continuing northwest on US 84 my next stop was Muleshoe, seat of Bailey County. And, yes, there is a statue of a mule in Muleshoe. My last Texas county on Friday, May 18 was Parmer (like "farmer" but with a "p"). Farwell, the county seat is on the Texas-New Mexico state line. So much for locating the county seat in the geographic center of the county. The Parmer courthouse dates from 1916. It's a beautiful little building facing a shady grove of mature trees; a veritable oasis in the relentless panhandle landscape. Oddly, the front of the building faces west, towards New Mexico. Don't try to enter the courthouse through those "front" doors, however. They're permanently closed: there's an elevator shaft directly behind the doors! Where else would you install an elevator but in the one open area of the courthouse? So, now the entrance to the courthouse is on the south side of the building. Inside the courthouse I was given a tour of the county clerk's offices and found these original 1916 brass file cabinets along one wall. They are truly built to last. A few minutes later I crossed the state line and entered New Mexico, gaining an hour in the process. From there it was a scenic drive through Clovis, Fort Sumner, and Santa Rosa to my destination: Albuquerque. No courthouses, but lots of the Land of Enchantment, including this view on US 84 west of Clovis.
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Leaving Houston on Thursday morning, May 17, my first stop was Hamilton County, a couple of hundred miles from Hosuton on Highway 36. I'd originally photographed this courthouse in June 2011. At the time, the courthouse was undergoing a restoration and wasn't quite complete. So, I scheduled a second visit to photograph the newly restored building. The view above is on Highway 36, a block east of the courthouse square. I like to find and photograph first views of the courthouse towers. This intersection provided just such a glimpse of the tower above an abandoned gas station and some horses traveling in style! The courthouse is beautiful and in great condition following a complete restoration. And, a couple of blocks south of the square, on S. Rice Street (US 281), I found a nice historic home for sale. I may have to move to Hamilton and restore it. The price seems right and living on Rice Street would be appropriate for me. Over the last 42 years I have traveled Highway 36 between Houston and Abilene many times, beginning in November 1970 during my freshman year at Rice University. My mother's family is from Abilene and I've visited the city frequently. This route passes through the county seats of Austin, Washington, Burleson, Milam, Coryell, Hamilton, and Comanche counties, before arriving in Abilene, the seat of Taylor County. Since beginning my courthouse project these counties and their courthouses have become very familiar to me. After Hamilton the next major town is Comanche, only 81 miles from Abilene. Here's the view from the road as one approaches Comanche. I've already photographed the Comanche County courthouse so I kept driving, through Rising Star and Cross Plains, and then Abilene. Getting on I-20, I headed west for Sweetwater, seat of Nolan County. Those of you who follow this blog will know the Nolan County courthouse is having exterior "skin" issues. The granite panels were falling off of the building. I wanted to visit Sweetwater again to see what the courthouse looked like without its exterior finish. I wasn't disappointed. Here's the "naked" building. (I've already upated the Nolan County page. Click here to see more photographs.) The day was coming to a close but I had another 100 miles or so to drive. I drove west a few miles to Roscoe and then took US 84 north. My next stop was in Synder, seat of Scurry County. The Scurry County courthouse is not going to make anyone's best building list. It's actually a building within a building. The original 1911 courthouse is buried inside a 1972 remodeling. For some reason, there are not any windows. Here's the result. I stopped for gas before leaving Synder.. The sun was getting low in the west but I made it to Post, seat of Garza County before it set. Post, named for the industrialist C.W. Post, of cereal fame, was founded as a model city in the plains of northwest Texas. I've always remembered the town as the place where Highway 84 climbs up the "caprock escarpment" on the way to Lubbock. The town isn't exactly a model city but it's pleasant. Here's the Garza County courthouse with Mr. Post. As the sun set over the Llano Estacado I arrived in Lubbock, where I spent Thursday night. It's certainly flat.
I left Houston on Thursday morning, May 17, to attend a cousin's wedding in Albuquerque on Friday evening. Along the way I stopped in Hamilton County (number 102) to photogarph the newly restored courthouse (my second visit), in Nolan County (number 64) to photograph the recently "stripped" down courthouse (the granite cladding has been removed, leaving the building rather bare), in Scurry County to photograph courthouse number 144 (and my new leader in the category of uglist courthouse in Texas), in Garza County to photograph courthouse number 145. Finally, 530 miles later, I spent the night in Lubbock.
Friday morning I was at the Lubbock County courthouse by 8:30. Courthouse number 146 was quiet at that hour except for a wedding party and a couple from Minnesota adopting a baby (I took their photo in front of the courthouse). Then, I proceeded to Lamb County (number 147), Bailey County (number 148), and Parmer County (number 149) before entering New Mexico. I arrived in Albuquerque at 3:00 and took nap before attending my cousin's wedding that evening. Saturday morning I left Albuquerque at 9:30 and drove across the eastern part of the state via Clines Corners, Vaughn, and Roswell, arriving back in Texas mid-afteroon at Yoakum County (number 150). Then, it was on to Terry County (number 151) and finally, Lynn County (number 152) before I headed to Abilene, via Post, Snyder, Roscoe and Sweetwater. Today, Sunday, I rested at the home of my aunt and uncle, Carolyn and Clark Brannan. However, I did re-photograph the Taylor County courthouse (number 69) and downtown Abilene this afternoon. Tomorrow, Monday, I'm driving west to photograph Mitchell County (number 153), and re-visit Sterling (number 6) and Coke (number 7) Counties before returning to Abilene for the night. I also intend to visit the Abilene Library to see if they have any information on the local architect David S. Castle. Tuesday I will return home to Houston, with stops in Gatesville (Coryell County, number 8) and Cameron (Milam County number 9) to re-photograph those courthouses. It's been a great trip! Photos and more information on these courthouses will follow after I return home... I left the Liberty Hotel in Cleburne at 8:30 AM Sunday and spent a hour in and around the downtown, including a visit to the train station. Then, I took US 67 west and south to Somervell County, the second smallest Texas county in area. (The smallest Texas county is Rockwall, just east of Dallas.) Glen Rose, the county seat is on the banks of the Paluxy River, which empties into the Brazos a few miles east of Glen Rose. Here's a photograph of Big Rocks Park in Glen Rose. The Somervell County courthouse in Glen Rose dates from 1893. It's on a small square in the center of this lovely little town. I'd never heard of Glen Rose before but it's on my "must visit" list now. From Glen Rose I followed Highway 144 north to Hood County. Granbury is the county seat. Lake Granbury, a popular recreational area, is on the east side of the town. On a Sunday morning there was a lot of traffic, vehicles and pedestrians, in the town square. The square is dominated by a large, monumental Second Empire building designed by W.C. Dodson. I was hungry after photographing the Granbury courthouse square. A block away from the courthouse an old Shamrock filling station caught my eye. It is now a restaurant, the Pearl Street Station, and served an excellent BBQ meal at a resonable price. With a hearty lunch under my belt, I headed southwest on Highway US 377 to Stephenville, seat of Erath County, the dairy capital of Texas. My first view of the courthouse tower was through a sea of utility poles. The Erath County courthouse is a J. Riely Gordon design, from 1891. It occupies a square in the center of town, surrounded by numerous historic buildings. Compared to the crowded courthouse square in Granbury, the Stephenville square seemed empty, except for the constant traffic on US 377 Business, on the west side of the block. From Stephenville I drove southeast on US 281 to Hico, then east on Highway 6 to Meridian, seat of Bosque County. (I understand the county name is pronounced "bos-kee" by the way.) Here's a house, perched on the side of a hill southwest of Meridian. It must have spectacular views. I approached Meridian with some trepidation. The Courthouses of Texas guidebook included a photograph of the 1886 courthouse following "modern" alterations made in 1935. The original clock tower and mansard roofs were removed, among other changes. Imagine my surprise, then, when this is what I saw on my approach to Meridian! Whoa, this isn't what I expected! Its turns out the Bosque County courthouse has received the "Wharton County" treatment! That is, a complete restoration, returning the building to the original design, including a new roof and clock tower. Thank you THC! Discoveries like this make my day. Leaving Meridian I retraced my steps east to Fairfield, seat of Freestone County, arriving about 3:45 PM. I proceeded to re-photograph the courthouse and square to replace the images I'd accidently deleted the previous day. Here's the 1919 neo-classical Freestone County courthouse: Tired, but very satisfied with my two day road trip, I left Fairfield at 4:30 PM and returned 160 miles to my home in Houston. This past weekend I added 8 new counties and re-visited another, for a total of 143 out of 254 Texas counties. But wait, there's more. As my friend Melissa Kean would say, "here's a bonus photograph," taken on my way south on I-45, in Walker County.
Saturday morning. I left Houston at 8:00 AM. North on I-45 160 miles to Fairfield, seat of Freestone County. I photographed the Freestone County courthouse (later that day I accidently erased all of the Fairfield photos from my camera) and then continued north to Corsicana, seat of Navarro County. It was Derrick Days in Corsicana! The downtown streets were closed to traffic and thousands of people gathered to eat, drink and enjoy a beautiful spring day. There was some mighty nice people watching! Oh, and more food this way... I spent some time walking around downtown, photographing the people and the architecture. The Navarro County courthouse is a few blocks removed from the city center and the Derrick Days crowds. The courthouse is an imposing structure from 1905. J.E. Flanders was the architect. Leaving Corsciana I drove west to Hillsboro, seat of Hill County. The Hill County courthouse is visible for miles across the rolling farmland. The courthouse was designed by W.C. Dodson and dates from 1890. The building was destroyed by fire in 1993 but was restored in 1999. It's a beauty! From Hillsboro I drove north on I-35E to Waxahachie, seat of Ellis County. I'd photographed this iconic Texas courthouse in December 2009, on my way with Hilary to the Big XII championship football game in Arlington (Texas defeated Nebraska at the last second!). I wanted to visit Waxahachie on a warmer day, so here I was again. The James Riely Gordon courthouse is lovely. The building's tower is unequaled in Texas courthouses. Here's a view as I approached from the south. I finished the day with a nice drive to Cleburne, via Midlothian. Arriving in Cleburne, I drove up and over the Santa Fe railroad tracks, with a spectacular view of downtown and the tower of the Johnson County courthouse. The photograph below was taken the next morning, but you get the idea. The 1912 Johnson County courthouse by architects Lang and Witchell is a curious mix of Beaux Arts massing with details inspired by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. Interesting... I spent Saturday night at the 1924 Liberty Hotel, a block from the courthouse square. This 4 story hotel has been fully restored and updated. I highly recommend this hotel if you're in the Cleburne area. And, the cost is reasonable. Other than deleting all of my photographs of the Freestone County courthouse, it had been a great day. I slept very well in the Liberty Hotel, dreaming of courthouses and listening to the sounds of trains passing through Cleburne.
I just returned home to Houston on Sunday evening after driving 700 miles and visiting 8 new counties, plus a second visit to another. Too much to publish tonight. I visited Corsicana (Navaro County), Hillsboro (Hill County), Waxahachie (Ellis County for the second time), Cleburne (Johnson County, where I spent the night), Glen Rose (Somervell County), Granbury (Hood County), Stephenville (Erath County), Meridian (Bosque County), and Fairfield (Freestone County). All of these counties are wonderful examples of the art and architecture of Texas courthouses. It was a remarkable trip. I came back with 585 photogaphs and many delightful memories. I shall post a few photos and more information on Monday. Now, it's time to rest!
I've had time this weekend to work on completing five additional county pages on the website: #64 Nolan County, #65 Fisher County, #66 Kent County, #67 Stonewall County, and #68 Haskell County. Thus far I've created pages for each of the 135 counties I've visited to date, along with a map and brief history of the county and its seat(s). Having done that, I'm back to "filling in" the county page with photographs and information on the courthouse(s) and some context photographs. Expect to see more county pages completed as I focus on this part of the project. (By the way, the current Kent County courthouse in Jayton is one of my favorites, especially in the "modern" catagory. It's very much "out of the way" and in a very small Texas county, so I doubt many people have seen it in person. Let me know what you think.) About six months ago I discovered a truly remarkable collection of historic images, predominately postcards, of US courthouses: http://courthousehistory.com The site's author is Keith Vincent. He has collected over 14,000 images of US courthouses and now has at least one image of every county or parish in America! Keith has graciously allowed me to post images from his website. I am in the process of downloading Keith's postcards from Texas to my computer. In a previous blog entry I noted that I'd re-visited the Trinity County seat in Groveton to photograph the newly restored courthouse. When I went to courthousehistory.com to see what Keith had collected I was thrilled to see a photograph of an earlier Trinity County courthouse. More importantly, I recognized it as the work of Eugene Heiner, architect of so many Texas courthouses in the 19th century. H After seeing this image, I went to my other favorite source of historic information on Texas Counties, The Texas Historic Sites Atlas, found on the Texas Historical Commission's website: http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/ Sure enough, on the Trinity County page I found a listing for the 1884 Trinity County courthouse by Eugene Heiner, along with a marvelous photograph of the Groveton "downtown" with the courthouse in the background. Here it is: Looks like an early 20th century road rally! So, I added yet another listing to my page on the courthouses of Eugene Heiner: Trinity County. I wouldn't be surprised if they are even more Heiner courthouses I have yet to discover for myself.
Donna and I drove to New Orleans on Thursday, April 5. On the way, we stopped in Beaumont (Jefferson County) and Orange (Orange County) so I could take additional photographs for this website. It was a beautiful spring day. The Jefferson County courthouse in Beaumont is as impressive as ever. I took some photographs of the 1981 addition to the historic courthouse and a few of the immediate context, including the adjacent Port of Beaumont. The entrance to the Port of Beaumont is across the street from the courthouse. I took this photo standing in the public right of way (i.e. the street). As you can see, there's not much to "see" at the entrance. Being a port, there are some ships and warehouses in the immediate area. Nothing unusual or unexpected. I walked inside the property to take a closer look at the propeller. After taking a couple of photographs, I turned and started to take a photograph of the port entrance. At that point a uniformed guard came out of the building and made it clear to me that I wasn't allowed to take photos of the port. Security issues. So, I made my way back to the street and the courthouse. Lesson learned. I'll be updating my Jefferson County page soon. Here's a detail from the 1932 courthouse. The courthouse in Orange, Texas is as far east as any in the state, with the possible exception of the courthouse in Newton. On the map, Orange appears to be just a little further east than Newton. I'll check the coordinates later to confirm my initial opinion. Anyway, Orange has a number of significant buildings in its downtown area, but the courthouse isn't one of them. In fact, the courthouse is located a few blocks south of the downtown. I don't know why it was built all by itself. Here's the view from the courthouse steps, looking north. Not much, eh? The courthouse dates from 1935-36 and was a WPA project. In 1964 a pair of modern wings were added on the east and west. Otherwise, the building appears to be pretty much original. Orange is home to the very impressive Stark Museum of Art. More on this and other updates to the Orange County page will follow later this week.
Regular readers of this Blog will recall the ongoing story of the repairs to the exterior cladding of the Nolan County courthouse in Sweetwater. The repairs are necessary because the granite panels on the building began to fall off last year! The Sweetwater Reporter posted an article on the project on March 23, 2012.
"Rodney Harvey with Curtainwall Design Consulting led the powerpoint presentation and discussion regarding the state of the courthouse and the options available for repair during the special County Commissioners' meeting on Friday morning, March 16, 2012, in which several steps were taken toward the progress of the Nolan County Courthouse renovations as well as the construction of the new jail and sheriff's offices for the county." According to the paper, the problems are the result of alleged construction defectives dating from 1976, when the courthouse was built. "At this time, two proposed remediation options were presented. As the courthouse is not to be completely reconstructed but only repaired, the work done will meet the building codes from the original construction date of 1976." Hopefully, the new "repairs" will be constructed according to the architect's and engineer's construction documents this time! "The commissioners approved an amended Option B, which removes the battered wall at the base. A new steel and aluminum framing will be installed along with two to three inches of insulation, followed by the installation of a new exterior. This option bypasses the existing concrete block wall." The so-called battered walls at the base of the building can be seen in the photograph above. Apparently, the new exterior cladding will installed vertically, eliminating the angled base which, in my opinion, is a good move. I understand that a contractor has already removed the granite cladding from the courthouse. If anyone is in a position to photograph the "naked" building and send along a digital file or two, I would be pleased to post them. Mail to leonardlane@gmail.com 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. I pulled off onto the grassy shoulder to take this photo. Hidden in the grass was a substantial rock, on top of which my car was soon lodged. Thank goodness for all wheel drive! After much noise and mental/metal stress, the car was off the rock with no apparent damage. The skid plates worked. But, I got the shot!
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!
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AuthorLeonard G. Lane, Jr., AIA Archives
May 2016
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