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The Fayetteville
Precinct Courthouse
Text and photos
by John Troesser |
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Fayetteville's
JP Office on the Square |
The
Texas Legislature once passed a law stating that county seats be centered
within 5 miles of the geographic center of the county. This was to
equally distribute the distance people had to travel to conduct business,
vote or attend hangings. Like most laws in Texas, it was met with
varying degrees of compliance.
In counties like Fayette where the population was equally dispersed,
it made sense to have separate voting precincts in the population
centers. Sometimes court was held or voting was conducted in local
stores or public buildings. Citizens of Fayette County went a step
further by voluntarily building entirely separate buildings for voting
and conducting county business. They were also used for a variety
of town functions. |
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The
Restored Courthouse was re-dedicated in June of 2002
Photo 12-02 |
Three
towns in Fayette County built precinct courthouses - Fayetteville,
Round Top and Winchester. A fire destroyed the Round
Top building, which has been replaced with a replica, and Winchester's
has long ago turned into a barn. Only Fayetteville has an original
structure - making it the only one in Texas.
The Fayetteville Precinct 2 Courthouse was built in 1880 for the cost
of $800. $600 was raised by citizens themselves while the balance
came from county funds. A ball was held to raise money to paint the
building. |
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The
Courthouse Clock was added in 1934 with funds raised by the Do-Your-Duty
Club |
Robert
Ripley once reported Fayetteville as being the smallest town in America
having a chiming clock on it's square. The story of how Fayetteville
got its clock is worth mentioning since it sparked a war of words
between the women of the town who raised the money for the clock and
the men who (after the money was raised) wanted to spend it on sidewalks.
Sidewalks eventually appeared, but the clock was installed first.
A few feet beneath the clock tower - on the building's second floor
are two cells which were added in 1887. These were usually occupied
by over-imbibing saloon patrons - almost every one of them from out
of town. Detainees facing more serious charges were transferred to
La Grange.
You needed to start drinking early if you wanted to be sure of getting
a cell in Fayetteville. A chain bolted to the floor in front of the
cells held inmates who arrived after the cells were occupied.
Legend has it that a prisoner was once shot dead in his cell by someone
firing a gun through the window. |
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Rudolph
Spacek, kept his office in the courthouse - his sign now a permanent
part of the interior |
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Jury
seating seems to have been appropriate to the courthouse's size. |
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The
foundations of the old water tower on the square |
The
walls of the courthouse are cedar boards and the windows are original
poured sheet glass. A utilitarian staircase leads to the two jail
cells and the clock is reached - only if it's really necessary.
The foundations of the old water tower remain in place on the NE side
of the square and a metal tower still supports the old fire siren
which until recently always announced 12 noon.
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©
John Troesser
TE thanks Fayetteville historian Louis Polansky for providing information
on the courthouse and opening it upon short notice.
See Fayetteville,
Texas
More Texas
Courthouses |
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