254 Texas Courthouses
  • Home
  • Chronological Order (of my visits)
  • County List (alphabetical)
  • County Seat List (alphabetical)
  • Texas Courthouse Blog
  • James Riely Gordon, Architect
  • Eugene T. Heiner, Architect
  • Henry T. Phelps, Architect
  • Alfred Giles, Architect
  • Corneil G. Curtis, Architect
  • Wesley Clark Dodson, Architect
  • Lang & Witchell Architects
  • Voelcker & Dixon, Architects
  • Wyatt C. Hedrick, Architect
  • David S. Castle, Architect
  • Page Brothers, Architects
  • James Edward Flanders, Architect
  • Pierce, Norris, Pace & Associates, Architects & Engineers

Happy New Year 2012!

1/1/2012

0 Comments

 
Rules are made to be broken, correct?  First day of the new year and I've already broken my self-imposed courthouse break.  It is a beautiful, sunny, mild day in Houston so I put down the top on my car and drove down US 59 to Richmond, seat of Fort Bend County. 
I assembled the Fort Bend County page just yesterday, but now it's so "last year."  Regardless, I wanted to photograph the newly completed Fort Bend County Justice Center and related structures.  I also decided to make a second visit to the historic courthouse in downtown Richmond.  Frankly, my learning curve on this project is causing me to re-visit most of the counties I photographed in 2009 and 2010.  At this rate I'll have to change the website to "508TexasCourthouses!" 
Anyhow, back to Fort Bend County.  The historic courthouse was enlarged in 1935 and 1957.  In 1988 a 7 story courthouse annex was constructed across the street from the historic courthouse.  Numerous other county building were added over the years, but the population of this Houston suburb just keeps growing and so, in 2006, voters approved a bond issue for a huge new Justice Center, along with a County Jail and other Sheriff Offices.
The site for these new facilities in about a mile or so southeast of the historic courthouse in downtown Richmond.
Here's a photograph taken today:
Picture
On the left is the new County Jail. The Justice Center is to the right.
Picture
This sign is posted on the public entrance of the historic courthouse.
By the way, Ransom Road is not spelled with an "e."  Not that it's called Ransom Road anymore.  The street signs now call it Williams Way Blvd. 
The new county facilities face the Brazos River on the east.  Between the Justice Center and the river is a state archeological landmark:  the site of the home of Mirabeau B. Lamar on the west bank of the Brazos.
Lamar's house is long gone, but the scenic view remains (see below).
Given the historic importance of the Brazos River to Texas, it's a shame that the river today is virtually ignored as it passes through Richmond.  The new US 59 (10 lanes wides) crossing of the Brazos is accomplished without a visible "bridge."  If you didn't know it was there, you'd never know you'd just crossed the river.  Yet, it was on the banks of the Brazos that Fort Bend began.

Picture
Here's the Fort Bend County press release, May 20, 2011, announcing the dedication of the new, 274,000 square foot, $73 million Justice Center:

Fort Bend County, TX- Fort Bend County Commissioners Court joined by  numerous other Elected Officials "cut the ribbon" yesterday at the new Fort Bend  County Justice Center in Richmond, TX.  During ceremonies, the Fort Bend Color Guard presented the flags of the United States, Texas and Fort Bend County.  Following the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, employees were given an exclusive "sneak  peak" of the new facility.  County Judge Bob Hebert stated,
"This is a  beautiful, well designed building, completed ahead of schedule and under budget.  Once we complete the move-in I believe our citizens will be well-pleased with  their new justice center."
JE Dunn Construction served as the General Contractor for the project and Pierce, Goodwin, Alexander & Linville (PGAL) served as the county's Design Professional.  The Justice Center was designed to offer the flexibility of phasing in courtrooms over time as the population and judicial needs continue to grow.  The new Justice Center includes 18 courtrooms,  District Clerk Offices, County Clerk offices, Grand Jury Space, Bailiff Area,  Law Library, District Attorney offices, a new and much improved Jury Assembly  and a tunnel connecting the facility to the Fort Bend County Jail.   For the  first time in many years, an adjacent parking garage will provide adequate  parking space for those visiting the Justice Center. 
County Departments will move in the weekend of July 1-4, 2011 and opening day for the public is on July 5, 2011.  A 
Grand Opening Ceremony for the public will take place mid-August once all of the departments have the opportunity to adapt to their new space. Although the departments that are moving will have a new physical address, their mailing address, phone and fax numbers will all remain the same!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Leonard G. Lane, Jr., AIA
    [email protected]
    I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as soon as I could.  I'm an architect.  And, a photographer on the side.
    I live in Houston, with my wife, Donna.  After our daughter, Hilary, passed the Texas Bar exam she took the oath as an attorney in the historic Harris County courthouse on Friday, November 15, 2013.

    Archives

    May 2016
    April 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly