Scurry County Courthouse
Snyder, TexasBuilt in 1911 in Classical Revival architectual style by architect Otto H. Lang.
Originally a brick, beaux-arts courthouse with a central domed tower. The original courthouse was a near twin to the Cooke County Courthouse. The Gainsville courthouse was also designed by Land and Witchell in 1911.The courthouse originally had a rusticated base of light colored stone or concrete, punctuated with arched openings. The upper two floors featured rectangular windows, numerous cartouches, and an ornate cornice.
1950: Tower removed.1972: Entire courthouse was clad in granite. The building now has no windows. Remodeling designed by architect Joseph D. Hinton.
Current status: existing / part of 1950, 1972
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.
Texas was once an independent country: After winning its independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas became its own country, known as the Republic of Texas. It existed as an independent nation for nine years before being annexed by the United States in 1845.