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The Present
Duval County Courthouse
- San Diego, Texas
Date: 1916
Architect: Sanguinet, Staats and Gottlieb
Style: Classical Revival
Material: Brick
Photographer's Note:
"Duval County's
first
courthouse was built shortly after county organization in the
late 1870s. It burned down on August 11, 1914. It was replaced by
the current Classical Revival style red brick courthouse which was
built in 1916. Marshall R. Sanguinet & Carl G. Staats designed the
building with partner R. D. Gottlieb. Based in Fort
Worth, Sanguinet & Staats designed buildings all over Texas,
with Sanguinet mostly operating the business part of the architectural
firm and Staats doing most of the designing. They were well known
for their steel-framed skyscrapers, most notably the Alico
Building in Waco,
TX. In 1938, the Duval County courthouse received a rear addition,
designed by the Page
Bros. of Austin.
During my most recent visit to the Duval County courthouse, I was
saddened to see the continual decay of this historic building which
is nearly one hundred years old. I talked with some of the courthouse
employees who informed me of habitual water leaks and the deterioration
of the building's roof. The interior hallways are a mish-mash of exposed
cables and duct work. With the hard economic times, it doesn't seem
likely that there will be any funding to bring about the kind of repairs
that this building needs. It would be a shame to lose this magnificent
building." - Terry
Jeanson, July 2010 |
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Historical Marker
Created by the
Texas Legislature in 1858 and organized in 1879, Duval County played
an important role in the economic and political development of South
Texas. Early settlers came to this area in the mid-19th century
from Mexico,
and Anglo pioneers began arriving in the 1860s. The early economy
was based on ranching
and agriculture. In the late 1870s the railroad
brought increased employment and population to the county. The discovery
of oil, gas, and uranium in the early 1900s boosted the economy and
caused increased settlement in the region.
(1996) |
Duval
County Texas centennial Marker
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, July 2010 |
Texas Centennial
Marker Text
Created February
1, 1858
Organized November 7, 1876
Named in honor of
BURR H. DUVAL
1809-1836
Captain of a company of Fannin's command at Goliad.
Murdered after the surrender March 27, 1836.
San Diego, the county seat |
The 1916 Duval
County Courthouse today
Photo courtesy Rudy Torres, May 2007 |
The 1916 Duval
County Courthouse as it appeared in 1940
Photo courtesy TXDoT |
Another early
view of the Duval County courthouse
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
The First Duval
County Courthouse
- San Diego, Texas
"Duval County's
first courthouse was built shortly after county organization in the
late 1870s. It burned down on August 11, 1914." - Terry
Jeanson |
The first Duval
County Courthouse, burned in the 1910s.
Photo circa 1910s, courtesy Bill Moran and Rudy Torres |
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