County Seat – Weatherford
Architect – Dodson & Dudley
Style – Second Empire
Built – 1885
Well this was a high light/low light part of this particular trip to North Texas. We saw some truly outstanding courthouses in this area – including this cream and red beauty that dominates the town of Weatherford. The highlight was the courthouse exterior – and it is very noteworthy as an example of the Second Empire Style. the lowlight was the fact the courthouse was closed for Thanksgiving Holiday. I don’t blame them, it’s just that I had checked on line and it didn’t mention anything about closing early. Oh well, you win some you lose some. It is my understanding the court room is an outstanding example of this style and is located on the 2nd floor. If you make plans to visit this beautiful courthouse, make sure it’s going to be open on the inside as well.
Gingerbread, Gingerbread, Gingerbread. Like the most elaborate of wedding cakes. this courthouse should not be missed. As for the setting. Realize it is close to Ft. Worth, and the traffic through the town is VERY heavy. They’ve done a good job routing the traffic around the square and far enough away from the courthouse to allow for some excellent views and photographs of the building. But be careful when standing near the street or especially if crossing the street. It is essentially a traffic circle, so you don’t necessarily get a good view of on-coming traffic.