Hopkins County Courthouse (Texas): Difference between revisions
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== Restoration == |
== Restoration == |
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[[File:Hopkins county tx courthouse courtroom.jpg|thumb|The second-floor courtroom in 2015, after being restored]] |
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The building was restored in 2001 and 2002. Prior to its full restoration, the courthouse was only repaired three times: in 1945, 1971, and 1979, the latter of which restored the appearance of the third-floor jury room by the next year.<ref name="ETHA" /> After years of wear and exposure to the elements caused deterioration of the building's sandstone and damage to its windows, as well as the persistent problem of groundwater infiltration, the courthouse became the site of a major restoration project. Completed in December 2002, the restoration refurbished both the interior and the exterior of the building, upgraded its systems, and modified it to be in compliance with the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|Americans with Disabilities Act]] (ADA).<ref name="THC" /> |
The building was restored in 2001 and 2002. Prior to its full restoration, the courthouse was only repaired three times: in 1945, 1971, and 1979, the latter of which restored the appearance of the third-floor jury room by the next year.<ref name="ETHA" /> After years of wear and exposure to the elements caused deterioration of the building's sandstone and damage to its windows, as well as the persistent problem of groundwater infiltration, the courthouse became the site of a major restoration project. Completed in December 2002, the restoration refurbished both the interior and the exterior of the building, upgraded its systems, and modified it to be in compliance with the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|Americans with Disabilities Act]] (ADA).<ref name="THC" /> |
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Revision as of 03:00, 22 July 2015
Hopkins County Courthouse | |
.jpg) Hopkins County Courthouse as viewed from Courthouse Square in June 2015 | |
  Location of Hopkins County Courthouse in Texas | |
| Location | Sulphur Springs, Texas, United States |
|---|---|
| Built | 1894-1895 |
| Architect | J. Gordon Riley |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
Hopkins County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located in Sulphur Springs, Texas, the seat of Hopkins County.
Background
After Hopkins County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1846, Tarrant was initially designated as the county seat, and a courthouse was constructed there in 1853. In 1868, the United States military moved the county seat to Sulphur Springs, which was at the time known as Bright Star. In 1882, Hopkins County constructed its first brick courthouse; in 1894, this building burned along with the jail and a number of commercial buildings in Sulphur Springs. The present courthouse was built to replace the 1882 structure.[1]
Design and construction
The courthouse, which was designed by San Antonio-based architect J. Riely Gordon, was constructed in 1894 and 1895.[1][2][3] It was one of approximately 18 Texas county courthouses designed by Gordon, who also designed those in Decatur, La Grange, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Stephenville, Waco, Waxahachie, and Victoria.[1] It was built in the Romanesque Revival architectural style with red sandstone and pink granite.[3][4] The courthouse also features an unusual double-helix staircase with cast-iron stairs as well as marble wainscoting, masonry interiors, oak woodwork, and stone and tile flooring.[1]
Dallas-based Sonnerfield & Ammins received the contract to build the courthouse at a price of $52,410, although the cost ultimately climbed to $75,000, due largely to the cost of installing steel bracing rods for safety purposes.[1]
Due to its alignment on Courthouse Square, the building's entrances are somewhat unusually located on its northwest and southwest corners, instead of on its sides.[3] Its entrances feature Roman arches with second-story porticos and third-story open porches above them.[4]
It was constructed with a clock-less tower because, as one of the town's early leaders put it, "[i]f you get up when the sun rises and go to bed when it sets, you don't need a clock."[2]
Restoration
The building was restored in 2001 and 2002. Prior to its full restoration, the courthouse was only repaired three times: in 1945, 1971, and 1979, the latter of which restored the appearance of the third-floor jury room by the next year.[1] After years of wear and exposure to the elements caused deterioration of the building's sandstone and damage to its windows, as well as the persistent problem of groundwater infiltration, the courthouse became the site of a major restoration project. Completed in December 2002, the restoration refurbished both the interior and the exterior of the building, upgraded its systems, and modified it to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).[3]
Prior to the restoration major problems with the building included rotting window casings, a roof turret in danger of collapse, overloaded wiring, lack of an elevator, and the general sense that the entire courthouse was a fire hazard. The restoration was handled by the Paris-based construction firm Harrison, Walker & Harper.[1]
Waco-based Johnson Roofing restored the courthouse's roof, which was its 11th project; the company, which has also worked on Baylor's McLane Stadium, described its niche as "stadiums and courthouses".[5] In total, the State of Texas spent $3.66 million on the restoration while Hopkins County contributed $1.3 million; the remainder of the funding was raised by private donors, $100,000 of which was contributed by Mary Bonham. After nearly two years of restoration, the courthouse was building was formally and publicly rededicated on December 7, 2002.[1]
Operation
Hopkins County Courthouse is open to the public daily between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.[2][6]
As of 2005, the courthouse is still home to the 8th and 62nd Judicial Districts; it contains courtrooms, jury rooms, and the offices of the auditor, commissioners, county judge, district clerk, and treasurer.[1]
As of 2005, the courthouse was available for use for concerts and weddings.[1]
Awards and accolades
In December 2013, County Line Magazine awarded the building the honor of "Best County Courthouse" in its annual "Best of the Upper East Side of Texas" survey, the third time it had received said award. The courthouse had also won the East Texas Historical Association's Lucille Terry Historical Preservation Award in 2005.[4]
Previously, the courthouse became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and received Round One of a Texas Historical Commission Courthouse Preservation Grant in 2000, the latter of which was an initiative of then-Governor George W. Bush.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "2005 Terry Winner - Hopkins County Courthouse, Sulphur Springs, TX". East Texas Historical Association. 2005. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Sulphur Springs Department of Tourism". www.visitsulphurspringstx.org. City of Sulphur Springs, Texas. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Hopkins County Courthouse – Sulphur Springs". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Best of the Upper East Side of Texas". County Line Magazine. December 26, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ Copeland, Mike (August 2, 2013). "Local contractors eyeing Kyle Field renovations". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ "Hopkins County, Texas". hopkinscountytx.org. Hopkins County, Texas. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
External links
Media related to Hopkins County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons