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| "The modern,
concrete and stone courthouse built in 1967 sits to the right of the
1892 courthouse.
Visitors must enter through this building to gain access to the inside
of the old courthouse." - Terry
Jeanson, December, 2004 photo |
The 1892 Victoria
County Courthouse
|
The recently
restored 1892 Victoria County Courthouse
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
TE Photo, 11-01 |
The
1892 Victoria County Courthouse
- Victoria, Texas
J. Riely Gordon Architect
The courthouse was built between February 15th and December 21st,
1892 and is known as the 1892 Victoria County Courthouse.
J. Riely Gordon designed this one in Romanesque Revival style. Gordon
was fired as architect when he failed to live up to his contract which
required him to be present every day of construction.
There are similarities with the Fayette
County Courthouse in La Grange - built by Gordon the previous
year.
The current
modern courthouse was completed in 1967. |
Portrait of the
architect as a young man
TE photo, 2010 |
Historical
Marker
(which replaced the 1961
medallion & plate historical marker)
1892 Victoria
County Courthouse
When Don Martín
de Leon platted the original townsite of Guadalupe Victoria in 1824,
he designated public squares, including one that would later be shared
by city and county governments for many years.
Victoria County
built its first
courthouse, a two-story brick structure, in 1849 on Courthouse
Square. The Greek Revival building served the county for many years.
In 1891, under leadership of County Judge J.L. Dupree, commissioners
held a competition for new courthouse plans. They awarded the contract
to the San Antonio firm of Gordon & Laub, comprised of acclaimed courthouse
architect J. Riely Gordon and D.E. Laub. Martin, Byrne & Johnston
served as general contractors. Due to Gordon's many pressing commitments,
he was discharged in May 1892. The commissioners court relied solely
on Martin, Byrne & Johnston, who added elements to Gordon's design.
Their work was approved by Eugene
T. Heiner, himself a noted architect, and the county accepted
the completed building on January 1, 1893. As was his style, Gordon
designed a courthouse reflecting the Romanesque Revival architecture
of architect Henry Hobson Richardson. He adpated Richardson's ideas
to the Texas climate, providing a central atrium to bring light and
ventilation into the building, which features a hipped roof with cross
gables, corner pinnacles and polychromatic stonework. In the 1940s,
the county adapted the atrium to serve as offices. When the need for
more space arose in 1961, residents petitioned to save the courthouse,
and the county built new facilities on the northeast corner of the
square. Work at the turn of the 21st century largely restored the
courthouse to its original design.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1961 |
 |
The courthouse
as it appeared in 1939
Photo courtesy TXDoT |
Looking up through
the atrium
TE photo, 2010 |
Victoria County
Courthouse clock tower
TE Photos, 11-01 |
"The spacious
district courtroom in the 1892 courthouse has also been restored to
its original condition."
- Terry
Jeanson, December, 2004 photo |
Artifacts recovered
from the restoration
TE photo, 2010 |
The 1892 Victoria
County Courthouse historical marker
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, December 2004 |
Another view
of the restored Victoria County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Steve
Stephens, 2002 |
The 1849 Victoria
County Courthouse
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Victoria County Archives |
"I would
like to share a photograph of the 1849 Victoria County Courthouse.
It was built by Richard Owens, and the hope was that this would enable
Victoria County
to attract a district court. This building survived until January/February
of 1892. It was auctioned off to make way for the J.
Riely Gordon Courthouse which built between February 15th and
December 21st of that year.
You have provided a much-needed service. Texas is a unique and favored
place." - Gary Dunnam, Victoria County Heritage Director, February
13, 2007 |
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