County Seat – Fort Worth
Built – 1895 (with modern addition)
Architect – Gunn & Curtis
Style – Renaissance Revival
see – Tarrant County Courthouse Interior (taken in 2013)
see – Ft. Worth Cityscapes
see – St. Patrick’s Cathedral
What a great courthouse. It sings authority, majesty, community pride. It was built in the gilded age and shows it. The pink marble, the steps – and its setting – looking down on the main business and shopping of Fort Worth. Tarrant County has had losts of waves of prosperity (think cattle, railroads, oil) and the county did not spare pennies in building their courthouse. It’s a must see for all courthouse enthusiasts. Having said that – we do need to return some day. As was true for so many of our ‘earlier’ courthouse visits – we did not visit the interior. And this courthouse begs for that visit. the beauty of the courthouse is found in it’s tower, pink granite and mixture of polish and rusticated stone.
The County built and interesting modern addition to the courthouse. It has a couple of very large angels on the outside – and arched windows with a faux facade of granite blocks and other highlights reflecting its older and grander neighbor. Rather impressive work for modern. Across the street is a modern red building which is the county records building – and its nice in its representation of a modern take on office buildings of earlier eras.