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| "Wilson
County courthouse front view. The 1887 Wilson County jail, which is
now a museum, is on the bottom left side of this photo." - Terry
Jeanson, August, 2008 |
The
Present Wilson County Courthouse
- Floresville, Texas
Date
- 1884
Architect - Alfred Giles
Style - Second Empire / Italianate
Material - Brick plastered over in 1936 |
Historical Marker:
Wilson County
Courthouse
Constructed in
1884, this courthouse replaced one built soon after Floresville was
chosen Wilson County
seat in 1871. Designed by noted San Antonio architect Alfred Giles,
this Italianate structure was constructed of bricks made in a local
brickyard. It features entry pavilions supported on Doric columns,
a bracketed cornice along the roofline, and a noteworthy central tower
with steeple.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1984 |
The 1884 Wilson
county courthouse today
A rear attached addition was built in 1986
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, August, 2008 |
Update:
"The Wilson County courthouse has been evacuated after engineers
found the building to be unsafe. A report on our local news showed
courthouse employees talking about a sinking upper floor and debris
falling on the lower floor. The outer walls have cracks all the way
down to the foundation and one of the walls is bowing outwards. Further
engineering analysis will determine the cost of repairs, but I believe
an historical restoration will be the final solution. Like the Kennedy
County courthouse in Sarita,
I'm thinking that the area between the outer stucco and the interior
brick is full of mold and destroying the brick.
The building has been fenced off, but Floresville
is still planning to have their annual Peanut Festival on the courthouse
square this weekend." - Terry
Jeanson, October 03, 2011 |
Wilson County
Courthouse as it appeared in 1939
Photo courtesy of TXDoT |
Same view of
the Wilson County Courthouse in 1912
Photo courtesy of THC |
Another view
of the 1884 Wilson county courthouse
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, July 2005 |
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Wilson
County Courthouse tower
TE photo, 2-02 |
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Goddess
of Justice
TE photo, 2-02 |
Wilson
county courthouse front entrance
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, August, 2008 |
The centrally-located
district courtroom on the second floor
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, August, 2008 |
| "The Wilson
County courthouse has two cornerstones, one on each side of the front
portico." -
Terry
Jeanson, August, 2008 |
Ghosts
of Wilson County
by Lois Zook Wauson
Most buildings around 100 years old have certainly got some ghosts
stories passed down through the years... In a building as old as the
county courthouse, I knew there were bound to be people who knew something.
I was right. I interviewed one person about a ghost sighted in the
courtroom upstairs... more |
Another view
of the 1884 Wilson County courthouse
TE photo, 2-02 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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