The weather was beautiful – about 68 degrees with clear blue skies. And the courthouses we were able to work in today – the day before Thanksgiving, were all noteworthy. I really would offer that this area may have the greatest wealth of courthouses of any area in Texas. Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Cooke, Grayson, Parker, Rockwall to name a few, all offer some of the greatest examples of their respective styles in Texas. And we haven’t even gotten to Weatherford, Waxahatchie, or Hillsboro. If you’re wanting to get a taste of the best without doing all Texas County Courthouses, I would strongly recommend the DFW area. However, be aware, driving wise, it’s a hassle to get anywhere – but the fruits of your labor are there for you to pick.
The first stop today was Denton County, with the courthouse in Denton, Texas. This is an absolutely stunning example of 2nd Empire architecture. It is unusual in the many towers it has. The courthouse is restored and now houses the county museum – worth a visit on its own. While almost all county offices have been moved to a new
Denton County Courthouse
courthouse, this remains the county courthouse based on the fact that the county court (the administrative judges) still sit in the courthouse. They did the same thing in Cameron County (Brownsville). Keeping the administrative County Court in the old courthouse means that it remains as the official County Courthouse of the county – even if the majority of county offices and criminal courts may be located elsewhere. The courthouse is majestic inside and out – and certainly ranks in the top 25 of all Texas Courthouses. There is a new courthouse, located about a mile east of the town square. It seems to be a decent example of the recent spate of new courthouses. It is a relief that many of the county decision makers have moved away from the need to ensure new courthouses be modern and devoid of any character. They now seem to be trying to invoke classical revival styling to some extent.
Denton itself is worth a visit – with much to do in the area, including spending some time in the old county courthouse. The square is very much alive and a vibrant certain of an energetic community, which is the home to 2 large state schools – North Texas University and Texas Woman’s University. The town square is busy and full of the historic buildings you expect when visit older Texas county seats.
We then drove to Decatur, Texas – county seat of Wise County. This courthouse is a Romanesque Revival Beauty. The interior has not been renovated and has a dark cellar feel to it. Somehow, I imagine that this style helps invoke that feel. The low arches and lack of light in the interior gives each floor a cellar feel. The town square, while not as active as some of the other area squares, is historic and alive with business. It’s fairly far afield from DFW, but it still seems to have some local economy boost from being in this area. There were some marvelous houses south of downtown. Again, this area is worth at least a visit – and don’t miss the Romanesque beauty that dominates this small town in north Texas.
Our final visit for the day was Weatherford – county seat of Parker County. This was probably the one disappointment of the day. Not that the courthouse was disappointing – quite the contrary. But rather, it had closed early for the Thanksgiving holiday. Now I’m sure many of you would say that that should be expected on the day before Turkey Day – and I don’t disagree. However, I went to each county website to see what times, days they would close for the holiday. All of them noted they would be closed Thursday and Friday. None of them, including Parker County, said they would be closed early. So that was a big disappointment as we’ve learned to look forward to many of the interiors – especially in the restored courthouses.
OK, having said that – the courthouses is amazing. Another example of Second Empire, it sits beautifully in its own little circle surrounded by an amazing amount of traffic. Because they chose to have major highways meet in the townsquare and not divert it elsewhere, there is a constant flow of pretty heavy traffic here – so be careful when crossing the street. The traffic’s coming from everywhere. Having said that, this actually isolates the courthouse and allows for some pretty awesome views and shots of one Texas’ top courthouses. I have no idea what it looks like inside, but the exterior is well worth your time and visit. The town square is active, but in some ways is almost choked by the heavy traffic. The town has done a good job surrounding the square with very accessible parking which helps.
All in all, this short courthouse tour (2 days) produced some amazing courthouse visits. I would say – apart from Colin County – the rest of the counties (Cooke, Grayson, Denton, Wise and Parker) were all top notch. In fact, there may be an argument made to say that each of these could be put in the top 25 of all Texas courthouses. And the architecture represented – Seconde Empire, Beaux Arts and Romanesque Revival gives good variety to your area trip.
Hope you enjoy the photos when posted. Which should be early next week.