County Seat – Brownsville
Built – 1912
Style – Texas Renaissance/Classical Revival
Architect – Atlee B. Ayres
Photos taken – June 8, 2011
This county has a courthouse and 2 historic courthouses, 2 historic jails and an old church/now cathedral. I’ll tell you right up front, the 1912 courthouse had one of the most striking interiors of any courthouse we’ve visited up to now. The courthouse was renovated and is now being used by the county court, so technically, it is still a courthouse (in this case civil). So I’ll post both the modern and 1912 courthouse here. The other edifices will be pictured on the linked pages.
The 1912 Courthouse was designed by Atlee B. Ayers. The exterior is nice – and clean and a very good representative of the classical revival style. It’s been thoroughly renovated – and this really shows in the interior. The interior is dominated by a stained glass dome which sits over a 3-story foyer. Detail is everywhere – so I’m going to be hard pressed to limit my picture gallery for this gem.
The modern Courthouse is OK, by modern standards. The interior look nice – but we weren’t allowed to photograph without special permission. The doors were made of a rich wood and glass design.
Brownsville is a very historic city with lots to see and do. If you ever do visit the area – definitely come during business hours and take in this breath-taking courthouse. You will not be sorry.