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The
1927 Hutchinson County Courthouse.
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, March 2008 |
This 1927 Hutchinson
County Courthouse replaces one built just the year before. This one
is built of brick and concrete in the style known as Texas Renaissance.
Designed by William Townes, who later became half of Townes and Funk,
designers of the Ward
County Courthouse among others.
Photographer's Note:
"The 1927 Hutchinson County Courthouse had a rooftop jail and
sheriff's quarters that was used until 1982 when the courthouse was
remodeled and the jail was moved." - Terry
Jeanson |
Historical Marker:
Hutchinson
County Courthouse
Hutchinson
County, named for prominent judge and writer
Anderson Hutchinson, was one of 54 counties created out of the District
of Bexar in 1876 by the Texas Legislature. It was not until 1901,
however, that the county was officially organized. That year a temporary
county courthouse was erected in the county seat of Plemons.
A permanent courthouse was built in Plemons by contractor E. E. Ackers.
Stinnett replaced Plemons as Hutchinson
County Seat in 1926. The county courthouse was temporarily housed
in an office building in downtown Stinnett
in 1926 before this courthouse was erected in 1927 at a time of major
oil discoveries in the area.
Designed by Amarillo
architect W. C. Townes and built by local contractor C. S. Lambie
& Company, the Spanish renaissance revival style building also housed
the county jail. It features brick construction with cut-stone ornamentation,
a 3-bay primary facade with grand entry bay, raised basement with
end entries, metal sash windows and second floor window with round-arch
stone lintels. Friezes at the east and west entrances of the courthouse
depict the petroleum, farm and ranch, and cattle industries, historically
the three principal commercial enterprises in the area.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1962. |
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Regional
details over the front entrance
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, March 2008 |
Courthouse
front entrance
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, March 2008 |
"Detailed
panel over the south side entrance. This design, along with other
stone carved designs, are repeated on all sides of the building."
- Terry
Jeanson, March 2008 photo |
"Roof
detail over the south side entrance. The empty panels on the bottom
(with the holes that look like smiley faces) repeat on each side of
the building, as if something was removed from these spaces."
- Terry
Jeanson, March 2008 photo |
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