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The
1883 Shackelford County Courthouse
Photo
courtesy Terry
Jeanson, January 2007 |
The Present Shackelford
County Courthouse
- Albany, TexasDate
- 1883
Architect - J. E. Flanders
Style - Second Empire
Material -
Native limestone
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Hwy 6 & Hwy180
Photographer's Note:
"The
1883 Shackelford County courthouse was the first courthouse restored under the
Texas Historical Commission's Courthouse Preservation Program. It was rededicated
on June 30, 2001. The architect, James Edward Flanders, designed eight or nine
Second Empire style courthouses in Texas during the late 1800s, but the one in
Shackelford County is the only one that remains." - Terry
Jeanson |
Historical
Marker Text Shackelford
County CourthouseBuilt
1883-84 from plans by J. E. Flanders of Dallas, architect for several other 1880s
Texas courthouses. Edgar Rye of Albany was construction superintendent. Kilted
Scottish Masons erected the walls of stone quarried a few miles southwest of town.
The foundations rest two feet deep on "natural concrete" (caliche). Budgeted at
$27,000.00; final cost was $49,433.75. Clock tower was added at public's request.
Recorded
Texas Historic Landmark, 1962 |
Shackelford
County courthouse historical marker
Photo
courtesy Terry
Jeanson, January 2007 |
"Detail
of the courthouse's clock tower. Although it would add to the cost of the construction,
county residents requested the addition of a clock tower to their courthouse."
- Terry
Jeanson |
| "The
main floor hallway exhibits much of the building's detailed woodwork." -
Terry
Jeanson |
| "The
centrally located, two-story district courtroom on the second floor rises from
the front to the rear, enabling the judge to see everyone in the courtroom."
- Terry
Jeanson |
Shackelford
County Courthouse as it appeared in 1939
Photo Courtesy TXDoT |
More View of the courthouse
Photo
courtesy Steve Johnson, May 2007 |
Another
early view of the courthouse
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
The 1875 Shackelford
County Courthouse"Shackelford
County was organized in 1874 and Albany beat out Fort
Griffin for the county seat. County Sheriff H.C. Jacobs donated the land for
the first county courthouse and in 1875, a 420' x 420' courthouse of picket construction
was built in the middle of the courthouse square. In 1883, this building was removed
from the square by restaurant owner Charles Hartfield and was used as a boarding
house for the workers hired to construct the current courthouse. Courthouse offices
were located in the Ballow-Keener building, a two-story stone building that stood
on the northeast corner of the square, until the new
courthouse was completed." - Terry
Jeanson
Source
- Texas Historical Commission County Atlas - National Register of Historic Places
at http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/shell-desig.htm |
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic,
endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local
history, stories, and vintage/historic photos of their courthouse/town/subject,
please contact
us. | |
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