County seat – Jourdanton
Address – 1 Courthouse Circle Drive (see map below)
Built – 1912
Architect – Henry T. Phelps
Style – Mission
Pictures taken – May 9, 2004
see Atascosa Cournty Courthouse revisited for interior
see historic Atascosa County Jail
Impressions:
The setting isn’t dramatic or even picturesque. Jourdanton is a fairly sleepy town south of Texas. There has been some growth creeping out of San Antonio, but to me, the neighboring town of Pleasanton is more active.
That being said – the courthouse is impressive and ‘neat’ comes to mind. It’s been restored and there are tons of architectural highlights. It is very rare to see the mission style – but being so close to San Antonio, it seems to fit the area’s history. Take a close look at this gem. You’ll marvel at all the detail.
From The Texas Historical Commission address the special aspects of the courthouse and what was involved in the restoration:
“Texas Historical Commission
Historic Courthouses in Texas
Atascosa County Courthouse
The present Atascosa County Courthouse, constructed in
1912–13, was designed by San Antonio architect Henry T.
Phelps. It is the only existing Mission Revival style
courthouse in Texas. Characteristics of this style include
shaped parapets, pyramidal tile roofs with broad overhangs,
balconies with decorative iron railings, arched openings and
wooden windows with divided lights. Exterior restoration work
includes replacement of tinted fixed glass metal windows and
aluminum storefront doors with windows and doors in the
original style. Interior work involved removing all dropped
ceilings, stripping and refinishing the woodwork, installing
new mechanical and electrical systems, restrooms, a fire alarm
and sprinkler system and adding alternate exits.”
This also may have been the first county we stumbled across a retired county jail. Go to the link above to see this gothic edifice designed by Henry Phelps, the architect of the courthouse.