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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 Text Duval
CountyCreated
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 TextDUVAL
COUNTYCreated 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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