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HILL COUNTY
COURTHOUSE
Text and Photos
by Sam Fenstermacher
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County
- Hill
County Seat - Hillsboro
County Population - (2000) 32,321
Location - 32.011°N, 97.130°W
Elevation - 631 feet
Hill County Courthouse
Constructed 1890
Architect W. C. Dodson
Designation National Register Listing - 1971
Texas Historic Landmark – 1964 |
Hill County
Courthouse Clock Tower |
Hill County
History
In 1852 doctor
Josephus Murray Steiner and Elijah Sterling Clack Robinson devised
a plan to stimulate land speculation by creating a new county. This
new county would be created by subdividing Navarro County. As a result
of some help from Governor Bell, a special session of the Texas Legislature
was called and a bill to divide Navarro County was signed into law
on February 7, 1853. Hill County was named for Dr. George Washington
Hill who had served as Secretary of War for President Sam Houston,
and also had been elected to the state legislature from Navarro County
in 1851.
During a special session of the Hill County Commissioners Court on
August 23, 1853 a parcel of land near the center of the county was
donated to form the county seat. The county seat was originally called
Hillsborough but the town's name was changed to Hillsboro in 1854
when the Post Office declared names ending in “borough” should be
changed to “boro”.
In 1881 the railroads arrived in Hillsboro and along with them came
jobs and prosperity. As a result of the railroads, county population
grew after 1881 and well into the early decades of the Twentieth Century.
Because of the available rail transportation and jobs, German and
other European immigrants came to the county to settle. Cotton also
contributed to the prosperity of Hill County, but after the 1930's
cotton production declined probably because of the Depression, and
the advent of synthetic fabrics.
As a result of the exit of the railroads from the area in the 1930's
followed by the demise of agriculture and then manufacturing, population
declined in the county until the 1970's. Today agriculture, manufacturing,
and retail operations all contribute to the prosperity of Hill County.
Hillsboro's location at the convergence/split of Interstate Highway
35 East and West provides plenty of traffic for the the Prime Outlet
Mall and many other local retail establishments.
In 1981 Hillsboro was one of the first Texas towns selected by The
Texas Historical Commission for the Main Street Program. Hillsboro's
special status as a Main Street Community makes it eligible for grant
money and other planning and assessment services through the THC.
The Texas Main Street Program's purpose is to encourage economic development
through historic preservation and renovation of buildings and property.
The Hillsboro Main Street Program's mission is to create, restore,
and inspire the quality growth of downtown Hillsboro.
Hillsboro
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The
Hill County Courthouse in 1907
Photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com |
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The
Hill County Courthouse |
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Two
story high Corinthian columns on the Hill County Courthouse. |
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Confederate Monument
on the courthouse lawn |
Courthouse
The Hill County
Courthouse is a three-story limestone structure of Second Empire style,
but it also incorporates Classical Revival and Italianate influences.
Two story high Corinthian columns, mansard roof treatment, and a wood
framed three-tier 70 foot high clock tower covered with ornate tin
work are the most conspicuous details of this regionally influenced
architectural marvel. This building is the third and arguably the
grandest of three similar courthouses designed by Waco architect W.
C. Dodson in the last half of the 1880's. Nearby Hood and Parker counties
also have W.C Dodson courthouses of the same vintage. The Hood County
Courthouse was actually constructed at about the same time as the
Hill County Courthouse, and both buildings were completed in 1890.
The Hood
County Courthouse was, by design, a lesser structure and originally
didn't even have a clock tower included in its plan. The Parker County
Courthouse was built several years earlier and although it's a grand
building, it lacks some of the ornate details present in the Hill
County Courthouse.
The first floor of the courthouse is roughly divided into quarters
by intersecting halls. The second floor contains office space and
the District Courtroom. The two story high ceiling of this courtroom
extends up to the third floor balcony where additional seating is
provides.
The courthouse also has a basement. Evident from below the first floor
is corrugated iron arches laid on the bottom flanges of iron beams.
Concrete was poured onto this iron structure to form floors. This
construction method was relatively new in 1889 and you won't find
it in buildings built much before this time.
The Hill
County Courthouse was destroyed by fire on the night of January 1,
1993. The destruction was nearly complete. All that remained standing
was the four limestone walls. The courthouse was a wooden frame structure
and the clock tower and wooden truss supported interior collapsed
onto the basement. The massive iron staircases survived, but I don't
think much of anything else could be salvaged. It's a testament to
the determination of the residents and elected officials of Hill County
that they were able to rebuild their beloved courthouse during the
rest of the decade of the 1990's. Today, the Hill County Courthouse
is again perfect in nearly every detail.
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Iron
staircase and door on first floor of Hill County Courthouse. |
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Stairwell
in Hill County Courthouse. |
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Original
Hill County Courthouse bell showing damage from fire. |
Courthouse
Square
Because Hillsboro
had a period of growth in the late 1800's and the early 1900's followed
by an extended period of economic decline, many vintage buildings
remain in an unmodified state around the town square. Today many of
these buildings are occupied by merchants that provide products and
services valuable to tourists and Hillsboro residents. Tourism is
wonderful, but there's just something refreshing about a town square
with a mix of merchants that appeal to the locals and tourists.
The Old Rock Saloon was the first building to be restored under the
Texas Main Street Program. Judging from the cornerstone date of 1876
the building is probably the oldest surviving commercial structure
in Hillsboro. This saloon was at one time owned by J. E. Ballard,
Mayor of Hillsboro from 1889 to 1893. Originally there was a cockfighting
pit at the rear of the building and a gambling hall upstairs.
Today the Old
Rock Saloon at 58 W. Elm St. houses law offices. This building is
interesting for its age alone. The cornerstone with 1876 date can
be seen clearly from the entrance to Bond's Alley. Some stone mason
chiseled the left side of the cornerstone off during a renovation
but the date is still legible.
The Old Rock Saloon and Bond's Drug Store set on opposite sides
of the entrance to Bond's Alley, on the south side of the courthouse
square. This alley has been a popular spot for public gathering
over the years. Bond's Alley is names for Bond's Drug Store which
has been in business at this location since 1881. One can only imagine
all the forms of camaraderie, larceny, and politics that have occurred
in this alley over the years.
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The Katy Depot,
home of the Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. |
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Sign
over front entrance at Bond Pharmacy |
Other
Attractions
The Cell Block Museum: Old county jail house located one block
north of the Courthouse. Open Saturdays April through November.
254-582-8912
Katy Depot: Built to serve the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy)
Rail Line. Today, home of the Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce.
A great place to gather information for your visit!
Tourist information:
www.hillsborochamber.org/
1-800-Hillsboro
Hillsboro
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Phillip
Nolan Marker along Hwy. 174. Probably the first Anglo to visit what
eventually became Hill County. Killed by Spanish March 21, 1801. |
Bibliography:
Texas Historical Commission, Texas Historic Sites Atlas.
http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/, 2003.
“Hill County.” The Handbook of Texas Online.
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/HH/hch15.html,
2003.
Copyright © 2003 by Sam Fenstermacher All rights reserved. |
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