King County Courthouse Library
Guthrie, TexasBuilt in 1914 in Classical Revival with Prarie School influences architectual style.
2 story concrete structure with stucco finish.
Wired for electricity in 1941. Entry doors and possibly windows replaced with aluminum frames. Metal entry canopy and wrought iron posts added. Annex with indoor plumbing added in 1982. 1985 renovation into county historical museumA brief site visit in 1998 revealed that the widow's walk has been removed and the front windows have been covered with a galvanized metal. The soffit is extremely deteriorated and bats have taken up residence in the cornice. The building is extremely neglected.
Current status: Library
The Texas Historical Commission's (THC) nationally recognized and award-winning Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) has turned around the trend of disrepair and begun restoring these treasured historic landmarks. Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state. Today more than 240 courthouses still stand that are least 50 years old. About 80 were built before the turn of the 20th century. By the end of that century, most of these structures were significantly deteriorated due to inadequate maintenance, insensitive modifications or weather related damage. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) documented the condition of 50 of the state’s oldest courthouses in the late 1990s and determined that counties lacked the resources to preserve the buildings for future generations.
In the late 19th century, Texas became known for its cattle drives, in which cowboys would move herds of cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas and other northern states. The cattle drives were dangerous and difficult work, but they played a key role in the development of the American cattle industry.