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Tyler County
Courthouse
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, December, 2007 |
The Present
Tyler County Courthouse
- Woodville, Texas
Date - 1891
Architect - T. S. Hodges
Style - Italianate
The courthouse underwent drastic remodeling in the 1930s, with the
tower and gabled roofs removed.
Town
Bluff was the original county seat |
The 1891 Tyler
county courthouse before remodeling,
with the tower and gabled roofs intact.
Photo courtesy THC. |
Historical Marker
(100 W. Bluff St., Woodville):
Tyler County
Courthouse
After the creation
of Tyler
County
in 1846 and the subsequent selection of Woodville
as county seat, this block was set aside for use as the courthouse
square and the first courthouse was completed by February 1849. In
November 1890, the Tyler
County
commissioners court, with county judge Henry West presiding, elected
to build a new center of county government and authorized the sale
of bonds to finance the construction. The Corpus
Christi architectural firm of Glover and Hodges designed the new
courthouse in typically eclectic Victorian-era fashion, incorporating
elements of the Second Empire, Gothic and Mediterranean styles. Despite
problems during construction in 1891, contractors M. A. McKnight and
McKnight completed the courthouse in early 1892.
In 1935-1937 the county undertook a massive courthouse remodeling
project with Works Progress Administration funds. Efforts to modernize
the building at this time resulted in the removal of its more high
style elements and the construction of a rear addition. Character-defining
features from the original design, such as the windows and central
tower remain, however.
The Tyler County courthouse stands as a symbol of county government
and a center of public and governmental activities. Its evolution
from original design to current appearance is a part of the county's
history and the building's service to the people of Tyler
County.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000 |
 |
Tyler County Courthouse
as it appeared in 1939
Photo courtesy TXDoT |
Tyler County
Courthouse after remodeling
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ ~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html
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Painting of the
1891 Tyler County courthouse in its original condition
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, December, 2007 |
Photographer's
Note:
This painting of the 1891 Tyler County courthouse in its original
condition is hanging in the office of Tyler County Judge Jacques L.
Blanchette. It was painted by local artist Doretta Gilchrist. |
| This Xerox photo
of the 1891 Tyler County courthouse in its original condition was
provided by Audrey Pelly, administrative assistant to Judge Blanchette.
The small building on the left is the 1891 Tyler County jail designed
by architect Eugene
T. Heiner. Audrey told me that they are in the process of applying
for a grant to get funding to restore the courthouse to its original
condition, including the reconstruction of the old jail (The 1891
jail was demolished during the courthouse's remodeling in 1936.) She
said they would find out whether or not they would be getting the
grant money by January 2008. |
| Part of the courthouse's
restoration will include the removal of the exterior stucco. A test
of a method to remove the stucco was done on a small section on the
east side of the building, successfully revealing the original brick
underneath. - Terry
Jeanson, December, 2007 |
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