Houston County Courthouse
401 E Houston Ave, Crockett, TXThe 1938 Houston County Courthouse is the last of five courthouses to be located on the public square in Crockett, the county seat. Designed by architect Blum E. Hester, the courthouse was one of several new civic buildings constructed in the town under the New Deal's Public Works Administration. The building is an excellent example of late-1930s Art Moderne public architecture and, among the Texas courthouses of the period, one of the most straightforward, yet elegant, interpretations of the style. For its important role as the center of civic life in Houston County, and as the principal seat of county government, the Houston County Courthouse is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places at the local level of significance in the area of Politics/Government. As an excellent example of the Art Moderne style as applied to a civic building and the greatest example of the style in the county Houston County Courthouse is also eligible for Architecture.
A Brief History of Houston County, Texas
Today's Houston County spans a portion of the Old San Antonio Road, one of the oldest trade and travel routes in historic-era Texas. First blazed to connect 17th-century Spanish expansion attempts into East Texas with Spain's settlements in Mexico, the road served long after as a principal trade and travel route through Texas. Various indigenous tribes including the Alabama, Coushatta, Cherokee, and Tejas-made their homes in the area through the 19th century. The first East Texas mission, San Francisco de los Tejas, was established in the northeastern part of the county near Weches in 1690, although Native defenses of their homelands forced its abandonment three years later. Spanish influences were longer lived in the Nacogdoches area, however, and the San Antonio Road through Houston County remained a well-traveled route (Bishop 1996: 3: 728).In 1821 Daniel McLean and John Sheridan permanently settled near what is today the town of Augusta. The area was part of the Joseph Vehlein colonization grant in 1828, and some of the region's oldest settlers, the Jacob Masters, Elijah Gossett, and Joseph R. Rice families, arrived about this time. Settlement continued into the 1830s, and many of the area's inhabitants, including the Gossett family, participated in the Texas Revolution (Bishop 1996: 3: 728).
Houston County was created by the Congress of Texas on June 4, 1837, as the first new county to be carved from the Republic's original 23 counties. In their petition, more than 100 citizens of the area asked Congress to "make for us a county on the East side of Trinity River, beginning at Robbins's Ferry" and spanning either side of the Old San Antonio Road. Senator Jesse Grimes introduced a bill creating Houston County out of sprawling Nacogdoches County and designating it as "Houston County" in honor of the new president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston. The original boundaries included today's Trinity and Anderson counties and a portion of Henderson County (Gournay 1995: 38; Aldrich 1943: 7-9; Bishop 1996: 3: 728).
The county government was organized soon thereafter, and the county seat was selected. Andrew E. Gossett (one of Elijah's sons) donated the land on the Old San Antonio Road for the new town of Crockett. His own home was east, less than two miles away. Because of his generosity, Gossett was given the privilege of naming the town. He chose Crockett in honor of the hero of the Alamo, who was also a family friend. Family tradition has it that Crockett camped on Gossett land en route to the Alamo and renewed old acquaintance (Bishop 1996: 3: 728; Aldrich 1943: 152-154).
In spite of their auspicious namesakes, Crockett and Houston County were sparsely settled during the early years of the Republic. The town of Crockett was incorporated by Congress on December 29, 1837, in the same legislation that granted city status to Houston, Washington, and Refugio. In 1837, it was home to only a "solitary citizen who kept store in a sixteen-foot log cabin" according to a reminiscence published in the Crockett Printer, December 1853. By 1838, however, the town had twice-a-month mail delivery and some stagecoach service from Nacogdoches. A log structure, built around 1838 served as the county's first seat of government. (Crockett Printer 1853a; Bishop 1996: 3: 728; Bishop and Long 1996: 2: 410).
The county grew during the first half of the 1840s. The new Texas legislature redefined the county boundaries in 1846, after creating Anderson and Henderson counties; the legislature established 31 new counties in March and April of that year. Trinity County was established out of the southern part of Houston County in 1851. In spite of its reduced size, Houston County's population rose to 2,721 in 1850, approximately 25 percent of whom were African-American slaves. Settlement occurred along the county's major river courses (the Trinity and Neches), which were linked by the Old San Antonio Road. Cotton and corn production were important aspects of the county's antebellum economy, as was the case in many parts of East Texas at the time (Gournay 1995: 45, 50, 61; Bishop 1996: 3: 278; Walker 1872: 64, 66).
The growing population and agricultural activity led the citizens of Houston County to ask the legislature for authority to levy a special tax to build a new courthouse. Sixty-nine citizens signed the petition, which was authorized in late 1850. The following year, a brick courthouse replaced the log structure. (Aldrich 1943: 30-33; Crockett Printer 1853b).
Houston County and Crockett grew rapidly during the 1850s. By 1853 the town had a telegraph office, Masonic Hall, six stores, two taverns, boot and shoemaker, lawyers and doctors, and several crafts shops. According to the local paper, "all the usual means and appliances of civilized life may be found in our village" (Crockett Printer 1853b). The county's population reached over 8,000 inhabitants in 1860, more than 2,800 of whom were slaves. The agricultural economy expanded especially cotton and corn production and Crockett, with 538 inhabitants, continued to be the county's commercial center (Walker 1872: 64, 66, 272; Bishop and Long 1996: 2: 410).
Houston County strongly favored the Confederacy, voting 552 to 38 for secession and volunteering for military and other Confederate service. Crockett was a mustering and training center for Confederate troops during the Civil War (Bishop 1996: 3: 478; HCHC 1979: 17-19).
Between 1864 and 1871 Crockett witnessed four major fires. Fire swept through much of downtown in 1864, destroying 22 businesses and the town's only hotel (Bishop 1996: 3: 478; HCHC 1979: 17-19). In February 1865, almost at war's end, the 1851 brick courthouse burned, consuming most of the county records. Aldrich (1943: 33) noted, "The cause of the fire that destroyed the courthouse was never solved, but a prominent citizen of Crockett was suspected of having caused the fire in order to destroy some records." Meetings and court sessions were then held on the southwest corner of the square in a building owned by L.E. Downes (Aldrich 1943: 33).
The county suffered from a prolonged drought in 1870 and 1871, and fires continued to plague Crockett. According to a petition of the county's citizens seeking tax relief from the Texas legislature, a fire in April 1871 consumed much of downtown including the new county jail, and "on the first day of October the entire portion of the town remaining was destroyed" (Aldrich 1943: 34).
The end of the war and Reconstruction had delayed the construction of another courthouse until about 1871 when a two-story frame structure was built. Local merchant John H. Burnett erected the new structure that housed the courts and county offices, as well as the county jail.
While 1871, with its drought and fires, was disastrous for Crockett and Houston County, the following year saw an economic resurgence. The Houston and Great Northern Railroad (H&GNRR), en route from Houston to the Red River, built track through Crockett and Houston County. Connecting the county's agricultural markets to Houston, the rail line spurred immigration and increased agricultural production, as well as opening the county's forests to timbering. By 1880 the county's population had doubled to more than 16,000, and the acreage under cultivation had increased more than tenfold (Bishop 1996: 3: 729).
The last two decades of the century saw continued growth in the economy and population. The county had more than 25,000 inhabitants by 1900, and the timber industry was a significant part of the county's economy. Crockett, a major stop on the rail line, also boomed when the H&GNRR (soon to become the International-Great Northern line) came through. By 1885 it had more than 1,200 inhabitants and was home to a bank, hotel, opera house, a weekly newspaper, and several schools and churches (Bishop 196: 3: 279; Bishop and Long 1996: 2: 410; Young 1996: 3: 732).
Even in the 1880s, however, the county seat was not safe from fire. On November 2, 1882, the courthouse again burned. The two-story building also contained the county's jail, and two prisoners were killed in the fire that probably began in the jailor's room (HCHC 1979: 24; Aldrich 1943: 33). The county agreed to a bond issue of $20,000 to build a new courthouse, and in 1883 the commissioners hired prominent Waco architect W.C. Dodson to design the structure (HCHC 1979: 24). This new, highly decorative brick courthouse reflected the county's new prosperity.
The first three decades of the 20th century saw an expansion of the county's agricultural economy, with timbering and lignite coal mining providing additional stimuli. The population, however, only increased by 5,000 people in the period. Cotton continued to be a major agricultural product, reaching a production of more than 48,000 bales in 1926. The Great Depression, drought, and the boll weevil took their toll on cotton and other farm produce in the late 1920s and early '30s, and the county's economy generally declined. While federal work projects and oil exploration in the mid-1930s helped the economy, the county did not see a significant economic recovery until the early 1940s. Today, the county continues to rely on agriculture, although cotton and other crops have given way in importance to stock raising. Timber, particularly pine and ash, is also important to the economy, as are oil and natural gas production (Bishop 196: 3: 279-280).
Houston County looked to federal funding in 1938 to help finance a new courthouse. One of the New Deal's most successful programs, the Public Works Administration (PWA), provided financing for new public buildings including courthouses. The PWA made grants to government entities to cover up to 30% of the cost of new or remodeled public buildings. The Houston County Commissioners Court voted on February 3, 1938, to seek PWA funds for a courthouse, and by October of the same year had vacated the 1883 building (HCCCM 1147:334, 425).
The new courthouse was part of a public building revival in Crockett. In 1937 the city had constructed a new brick city hall just off the square. About the same time, a new post office had been built at a cost of $85,000, one block from the courthouse (City of Crockett c.1937: 6-7). Designed by Blum E. Hester, Architect, Houston, Texas, and built by the Eckert-Fair Construction Company of Dallas, the new Houston County Courthouse cost more than $180,000 and was accepted by the commissioners' court on January 8, 1940. As well as containing all the county offices and courtrooms, the building also housed the county jail on the top floor (HCCCM 147: 334, 441-445, 548).
Courthouses of Houston County
Houston County has seen five courthouses, all located on today's public square in Crockett. The town was laid out in 1837 with 36 blocks around a one-block town square. This layout was one of the most common in Texas and is also represented in cities as large as Houston and Dallas, and as small as Decatur and Belton. The town's original plat was lost, likely to one of the fires that plagued the early courthouses, and was redrawn in the 1960s (Bishop n.d.; Robinson 1972: 340-341). The courthouse square is bounded on the north by East Houston Avenue (formerly Public Avenue), on the east by South Fifth Street (formerly Houston Street), on the south by Goliad Avenue (formerly Main Street), and on the west by South Fourth Street (formerly North Street).First Courthouse, 1838-1851
Due to several courthouse fires in the 19th century, records about early county business are scarce. Little is known about the first county court building. According to Aldrich (1943: 30), it was a log building constructed as early as January or February 1838, by John Erwin, a Houston County pioneer. It stood in today's courthouse square.
Second Courthouse, 1851-1865
Like the first courthouse, little is known about this structure. It, too, stood on the public square, built of locally-made brick. Aldrich (1943: 30-33) noted that "the brickyard was located about where the residence of Dr. W.C. Lipscomb stands [on South Seventh Street]" (see also HCHC 1979: 17). This two-story brick courthouse burned in February 1865, likely the result of arson. According to the Crockett Quid Nunc (1865a), the fire may have started in the district clerk's office, and "nearly all the county records [were] lost." All the records and equipment on the second floor were burned, as well as most of the records in the rest of the building. The county solicited bids in March "to take down and stack bricks of the courthouse, payable in brick," although there are no records to verify whether this was done (Crockett Quid Nunc 1865b).
Third Courthouse, 1871-1882
Between 1865 and 1871 the county utilized various buildings in town for county business. The County Commissioners Court, in a petition to the Texas legislature, asked to retain their state taxes to build a new courthouse:
We are compelled to Hold our dist. Courts in a room over a Store House whis [sic] is of great inconvenience, our courts of necessiry [sic] holding fifteen weeks in the year.... In fact it will take all the tax, raised for purposes of that character to pay for Rents, for court [sic] House room, Jury rooms &c. &c the expense of boarding prisoners in the jail of other counties and other expenses attending conveying prisoners to & from the county. (quoted in Aldrich 1943: 35-36)
The third courthouse was constructed in 1871 after a delay of six years. Completed at a cost of nearly $5,000, the frame two-story building contained county offices, a second-floor courtroom, and the county jail. It was built by local merchant John H. Burnett. Burnett, a large property owner southeast of Crockett on today's SH 7, immigrated to Houston County from Somerville, Georgia, in 1854. His store was located at the corner of North Fifth and East Houston (HCHC 1979: 22). The county was still short of funds for the courthouse in 1874 when the county requested authority to levy a special tax to pay John H. Burnett for construction of a courthouse and jail (HCHC 1979: 22).
This courthouse burned on November 2, 1882, again destroying the county's records, but also killing two prisoners in the building's jail (HCHC 1979: 24).
Fourth Courthouse, 1883-1938
In 1883, the Houston County Commissioners' Court contracted with Waco-based architect Wesley Clark Dodson to design a new county courthouse. Dodson was a prominent Texas courthouse designer in the last quarter of the 19th century. Noted as an "old guard Victorian architect in Texas, an accomplished practitioner of the Second Empire mode," by architectural historian Jay Henry, Dodson designed a number of courthouses throughout the state, including those in McLennan (1876), Lampasas (1883), Johnson (1881-1883), Anderson (1884-1885), Parker (1885, with William Dudley), Hood (1889-1891), Bonham (1887-1888, with William Dudley), Denton (1895-1896), and Coryell (1897-1898) counties (Robinson 1983: 261-300 passim). The Houston County edifice was similar to those he designed during this period in Lampasas, Johnson, and Anderson counties.
Although the architectural drawings for the 1883 Houston County courthouse no longer exist, the deed records contain more than thirteen pages of specifications for the building (HCDR 5: 209-222). Among the details, the specifications noted that "The old cistern or well on the site of the building must be filled with dirt, wet and flooded every 2 ft. and made solid...." (HCDR 5: 211).
Dodson's design for Houston County was very similar to those for the contemporaneous buildings in Johnson and Lampasas counties. Utilizing the fashionable Second Empire styling of the day, he placed a central clock tower in the midst of a picturesque, symmetrical, polychromed structure. The $20,000 red brick building stood in the middle of the open town square, as had its predecessors. A stone-lined well sat at the south end of the building. In 1885 the blocks surrounding the square were fairly well developed with a number of brick buildings, particularly on the east side. Over the next ten years, the square was completely surrounded by one-and-two-story, primarily brick buildings (Sanborn Map Company 1885, 1896).
In 1907 the county built a separate two-story brick structure on the square at the southeast corner of the courthouse. Titled the County Clerk's Office, it held the clerk's office and a vault on the first floor and had a jury room on the second floor. The well was enclosed in a one-story shed that may have been the first gazebo on the grounds (Sanborn Map Company 1907). Five years later the courthouse square also held a one-story frame building that may have contained water closets and a water tower (Sanborn Map Company 1912). By 1925 the small building had disappeared, and the gazebo had taken on its hexagonal shape (Sanborn Map Company 1925). Photographs of the public square after the turn of the century of the fourth courthouse show a very small irregularly shaped yard around the courthouse, held in place with a retaining wall. Informal walks crossed the lawn, and a few trees were placed at irregular intervals.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Houston County Courthouse (in all of its incarnations) and the public square to the civic life of the county and to its individual citizens. Crockett has served as the commercial and banking center for the county since its founding.
The first courthouse provided shelter during Indian defenses in 1839. Civil War musters held in Crockett likely centered around the courthouse square, the largest open area in town. The commercial and banking industries thrived around the courthouse, though having to rebuild after each devastating fire. Crockett town fathers solicited the Houston and Great Northern Railroad, providing further impetus to the burgeoning commercial enterprises on the town square. Photos of the town show the courthouse at the center, with the large square providing ample room for buggies and wagons and later, automobiles. The proximity to courts and land records drew attorneys and land dealers, as well as abstract companies; the square was the best business address in the town. When oil was discovered in the southwestern part of the county in 1934, it had a major impact on the county, shown very dramatically in the county clerk's office. Activity in the records was such that on the second day after Boone Bros. No. 1 Discovery well came in, the county commissioners authorized a 20-foot-by-40-foot annex. A frame structure attached to the brick building, the addition was completed in 48 hours (September 15, 1934) and housed land and abstract records, as well as the 100 or so people using those records.
Fifth Courthouse, 1939 to present
Among the New Deal's National Recovery Act (1933) programs was the Public Works Administration (PWA). Designed to provide loans and grants for local government construction projects, the PWA assisted counties and cities throughout Texas. Many 19th-century courthouses were replaced through this program, which has been called "the nemesis of many fine Victorian courthouses." (Robinson 1983: 272) Many counties and municipalities were able to build modern, fireproof buildings in the depths of the Great Depression utilizing PWA funds, thereby employing local workers and contractors, and putting federal money into local economies.On February 18, 1938, the County Commissioner's Court filed an application for a 45% grant with the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. As described in the county's application, the uses of the building were:
Ground Floor:
County records, boiler room, toilets for white men, colored men, and colored women, agricultural and demonstration Agent, Constable, Justice of the Peace, and other agency offices and storage.
First Floor:
Tax Assessor and Collector, County Clerk, Auditor, Sheriff, County School Superintendent, contingent offices, and white women's toilet.
Second Floor:
County Courtroom, County Judge, County Commissioners and Court, County Judge, County Attorney, Jury Room and Dormitory, Court Reporter, District Judge, District Courtroom.
Third Floor:
Jail (facilities for up to 60 prisoners: Women & juveniles, white men, colored men, felons), Sheriff's living quarters.
On March 14, 1938, the Houston County Commissioners Court hired architect Blum E. Hester of Houston "to prepare the necessary preliminary plans and specifications and application required by the Federal Government" to secure PWA funds for the construction of a new county courthouse. (HCCCM 147: 334) Hester's initial contract contained no compensation; evidently, that would come later when the PWA money was approved.
The application for PWA funding was successful, and on September 3, 1938, the county held a bond election to finance its portion of the new courthouse. Inspired by local Lions Club efforts, voters approved the $120,000 bond issue by a count of 1,069 to 632. In mid-October, the commissioners ordered that the existing courthouse be vacated, and they designated the Crockett Hotel dining room as the courtroom for both county and district court purposes. The county also rented the first floor of the Moore Building for county use. D.J. Dincan secured the contract to demolish the courthouse and annex. At the end of October, the commissioners approved Hester's plans and specifications for the new building and forwarded them to the regional director of the PWA for approval. (HCCCM 147: 334; 424-439; HCHC 1975: 27)
Moving quickly, the county opened construction bids on November 16, 1938. The bid documents included a base bid and fifteen alternates. The project attracted ten bidders: Tellepsen Construction Co., Houston; James T. Taylor, Fort Worth; Gilbert Falbo, San Antonio; Hal C. Dyer, Dallas; A.E. Rheiner, San Antonio; Templeton Cannon, San Angelo; R.F. Ball, Fort Worth; Knutson Construction Co., Houston; A.N. Evans, Columbus; and Eckert-Fair Construction Co., Dallas. Hester tabulated the complicated bids and concluded that Eckert-Fair Construction's $183,000 bid was the lowest. The commissioners awarded the contract to the Dallas-based company the same day, "subject to the approval of the Regional Director PWA." On the first of December, the Commissioners Court opened three bids for courthouse equipment and awarded the contract to Wilhide Equipment Company of Dallas. (HCCCM 147: 441-445, 448-449)
The cornerstone for the new building was laid in July 1939 and contained a wide variety of memorial objects, according to the minutes of the Commissioners Court (147: 519):
- A wrapped coin by Mrs. & Mrs. W. K. McClain
- An envelope containing pictures of the old Courthouse Building which was raised [razed] by Mrs. Kelly
- One copy of the Grapeland Messenger (a weekly paper)
- A Maxonic [sic] Keystone by Judge Bradley, County Judge
- A New Testament dedicated to friends of Houston County and to the memory of Charles E. Hester by Blum E. Hester, Architect
- A Fountain pen used fourteen years in the County Court by Commissioner Story
- A Lodge certificate of K P and Masonic Lodges, membership cards of County and District Clerk by J. Dawson Robbins, County Clerk
- Four (4) additions [sic] of the Crockett Courier (a weekly paper)
- A photograph from zinki [sic] etching of wood Courthouse structure in 1870 by G.D.McClain
- The names of the Crockett Girl Scouts
- A copper plate bearing the name J. A. Brasher, County Treasurer
- A parcel from the First National Bank, containing the names and signatures of employees and W.E. Hail, Jr.
- A New Testament signed by Mr. A.B. English and Juanita Browning
- A Masonic Grand Lodge Certificate
- A marriage certificate by Jeff Franklin
- A letter from present Commissioner Court members with their signatures
- A sealed package submitted by Judge Aldrich containing copy of charter of Lions Club, copy of program Charter Night, List of present membership and a brief statement of projects they have sponcered [sic]
- Package by Judge Aldrich
- Booklet by Mrs. Hughes
- Brief statement of the program for the Centinial [sic] program, by the city council and chamber of commerce The names of the Crockett Boy Scouts
- A card by Rosser Bradley
- List of all county officers
- A personal note from G.B. Lake
- Copy of the Acts of the Apostles by Mr. Brightman
On the recommendation of architect Blum E. Hester, Houston County Commissioners accepted the new courthouse on October 19, 1939. The project had overrun its schedule by nine days, but the court agreed to waive any liquidated damages for the additional days. Almost a month later, on November 17, the court accepted the furnishings and equipment installations at a final cost of $210,589.40. On January 8, 1940, the Commissioners Court made a "final acceptance" of the building and furnishings (HCCCM 147: 548, 5545, 570).
Dedication likely followed soon thereafter; the only mention of a dedication ceremony is an oblique reference to one (HCHC 1975: 28). At the time of the courthouse's completion, T.G.W. Tarver, an African-American citizen, wrote a 17-stanza poem titled "Houston County Courthouses in Rhyme; A Dedication Poem" in honor of the new building. Tarver's ode to the edifice reveals the county's preoccupation with ideas of modernity and its unhappiness with the 1883 building:
'Twas a refuge for bacteria,
Of many and various kinds:
Which might infect our people --
Or e'en affect their minds.
Hence the old building was condemned,
It sooner or later would fall,
And crush to death officials
Housed in between its walls.
It was our noble Lion's Club,
That gave this move a start,
To erect a modern courthouse,
We all, then played a part.
We exercised our franchise,
In a wondrous way,
By voting for a modern courthouse
With thousands, in bonds, to pay.
For architectural culture
And skill, it holds its part,
Among the many structures,
Endeared to human heart.
For grandeur and for beauty,
Its rivals are but few;
Within the bounds of Texas,
It stands as something new.
One story above another,
Is an uplift towards the sky;
It stands out as a beacon
To its zenity-- three floors high.
On the pinnacle of the building,
The jail stands there aloof;
By its structure and position,
From jail-breaks should be proof.
Blum E. Hester, Architect (1902-1977)
Archival research has produced little information about architect Blum E. Hester. He was born in Houston County in 1902; where he obtained his architectural training is unknown. In 1934 oilman Harry M. Crighton, then the mayor of Conroe, Texas, commissioned Hester to design a "movie palace," and the Crighton Theatre still stands today on Main Street in Conroe.Advertisements for Blum E. Hester, Architect (Texas Registration No. 484), appeared in Houston city directories between 1936 and 1940. During this period he is listed as having an office in the Merchants and Manufacturers (M&M) Building on Main Street in downtown Houston; built in 1930, the Art Deco-styled M&M Building was the tallest building in Houston at that time, which suggests that Hester was an architect interested in modern styles and construction techniques and that he had the means to lease office space in the city's most prominent building. In 1936 Hester's residence is listed at 4201 Rice Boulevard, while in 1940 he and his wife Elaine are listed as residing at 3805 University Boulevard. (Morrison & Fourmy 1936: 729; 1940: 475) His whereabouts before 1936, however, have not been discovered.
As far as has been determined, Hester did not design any courthouses other than the Houston County Courthouse in Crockett. Hester and his wife moved to Crockett during the construction of the courthouse or shortly after its completion, and he soon left the full-time practice of architecture and entered the ministry in Crockett. In addition to the county courthouse, Hester designed the Full Gospel Worship Temple on South Seventh Street in Crockett, now the Waller Funeral Home, as well as a church on State Highway 7 approximately five miles west of Kennard. He died in Crockett, on January 25, 1977, and is buried in Evergreen Memorial Park. (HCHC 1987: 255; Bishop 2000)
Architectural Significance
The Houston County Courthouse is an excellent example of late-1930s Art Moderne civic architecture and, among the Texas courthouses of the period, one of the most straightforward interpretations of the style. With its contemporaries-the courthouses in Castro, Cherokee, Childress, Comanche, Falls, Rockwall, Ward, and Washington counties-the Houston County Courthouse shares a number of common features:- Its plan and massing are straightforward, with two major entrance elevations. This is a departure from the four relatively equal entry sequences found in Moderne courthouses of the middle 1930s; by 1939, an imposing raised central entrance clearly delineated the primary points of entry into the building. Lower wings typically project from either side of the center section.
- Each of these late-1930s courthouses shares a similar design in regard to fenestration. Narrow vertical stacks of windows on either side of the main entrance are echoed in more numerous and significantly wider stacks of windows on the symmetrical facades of the projecting wings. The effect is such so as to emphasize the verticality of the center section while conveying a sense of groundedness and gravitas in the secondary masses.
- Most of the courthouses of the period are faced entirely with stone, usually limestone; only two (Falls County and Ward County) incorporate brick and/or concrete into what is otherwise a mostly stone façade.
Of this group, the Houston County Courthouse is elegant in its simplicity and unequaled in this regard. It utilizes a "stripped classical" motif characteristic of the Art Moderne style-fluting, of the sort that one would find on a classical column-but in this application presented in profile as a restrained wave pattern above the entry doors. The fluting motif further provides a subtle texture on the cornice and wall caps, as well as the piers flanking the main entrances. Spandrels of Verde Antique marble-a metamorphic serpentine stone of a rich, dark green with white veining-are used between windows to create dark vertical bands against the cream and gray limestone. No other courthouse mentioned here so clearly delineates the contrast between solid and void in its fenestration.
Hester's design of the Houston County Courthouse is also unusual for this period in that it incorporates a clock face on each elevation, like the W.C. Dodson-designed courthouse of 1883 that this building replaced. The presence of a multi-faced clock tower, high above the town square, is a common feature in late 19th-century architecture; in this context, clocks served as much more than decoration, providing value to the community by helping to standardize the keeping of time. By the 1930s, of course, this function was no longer essential, and clock faces were more commonly designed for main entrance façades and not the minor elevations of civic structures. The presence of the clock faces on all four sides of this structure establishes continuity with the past and reinforces the role of the courthouse at the center of community life.
Historical Significance
The current courthouse was built at a time when Houston County was looking back on its first hundred years, having celebrated its centennial in 1936-1937. Under the administration of Crockett mayor John Gordon Beasley, Sr., improvements included a new city hall, the David Crockett Memorial Building, and a new 50-acre city park. Unsurprisingly, Houston County commissioners were also interested in the building loans offered under the New Deal's National Recovery Act program and the Public Works Administration.Since 1939, the courthouse and the public square have been the site of numerous public events. Celebrations, such as the Fiddler's Festival, occurred yearly on the ground ending with street dances until midnight. Election results drew citizens to the square. All parade patterns circle the square. U.S. Bicentennial (1975-76) and Texas Sesquicentennial (1986-87) events were held on the courthouse steps and inside. The Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Beautification Committee use the steps of the building for their public events.
The courthouse has been the headquarters and repository of the Houston County Historical Commission and its predecessor, the Houston County Historical Survey Committee, since 1962. Whether located on the third floor or in its present first-floor location, the office and the commissioners have been an integral part of Houston County's record-setting preservation initiatives. (HCHC 1979: 164-165, 178-189, 204) The commission erected a historical marker for the "County Seat of Crockett" on the northeast lawn in 1962 and another for the "Five Houston County Courthouses" on the northwest corner in 1979.
For its important role as the center of civic life in Houston County, and as the principal seat of county government, the Houston County Courthouse is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places at the local level of significance in the area of Politics/Government. As an excellent example of the Art Moderne style as applied to a public building and the greatest example of the style in the county Houston County Courthouse is also eligible for Architecture.
Bibliography
Bishop, Eliza H. "Five Houston County Courthouses and Renovations," typescript on file, Houston County Historical Commission, Crockett, Texas, n.d.
"Chronological Survey of County Courthouses," typescript on file, Houston County Historical Commission, Crockett, Texas, 1995.
"Houston County," in Ron Tyler, et al., The New Handbook of Texas. 6 vols. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996.
Bishop, Eliza H. and Christopher Long. "Crockett, Texas," in Ron Tyler, et al., The New Handbook of Texas. 6 vols. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996.
City of Crockett. Crockett, Texas: The City of Opportunity. c. 1937. Booklet on file, Crockett Public Library, Crockett, Texas.
Crockett Printer
____ December 6. Reprinted in Bebe Beasely Urich, Houston County Collection, Volume I: Crockett Newspapers, 1853-1896. Publications Development Company of Texas, Crockett, n.d.
____ December 6. Quoted in Eliza Bishop, "Five Houston County Courthouses and Renovations," typescript, n.d. On file, Houston County Historical Commission, Crockett, Texas.
Crockett Quid Nunc
____ Feb. 7. Reprinted in Bebe Beasely Urich, Houston County Collection, Volume I: Crockett Newspapers, 1853-1896. Publications Development Company of Texas, Crockett, n.d.
____ March 1. Reprinted in Bebe Beasely Urich, Houston County Collection, Volume I: Crockett Newspapers, 1853-1896. Publications Development Company of Texas, Crockett, n.d.
Gournay, Luke. Texas Boundaries: Evolution of the State's Counties. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1995.
Henry, Jay C. Architecture in Texas: 1895-1945. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1993.
Houston County Commissioners Court Minutes (HCCCM). On file, Houston County Clerk's Office, Crockett, Texas. Houston County Historical Commission (HCHC). History of Houston County. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Heritage Press, 1979.
Houston County (Texas) Cemeteries, third edition. Crockett, Texas, 1987.
Morrison & Fourmy. Houston City Directory. 1936-1940
Robinson, Willard B. "The Public Square as a Determinant of Courthouse Form in Texas," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 75 (1972), 339-357.
The People's Architecture: Texas Courthouses, Jails, and Municipal Buildings. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1983.
Sanborn Map Company. "Crockett, Texas." 1885, 1896, 1907, 1912, 1925, 1938/1963. On file, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
Walker, Francis A. The Statistics of the Population of the United States. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1872.
Young, Nancy Beck. "Houston and Great Northern Railroad," in Ron Tyler, et al., The New Handbook of Texas. 6 vols. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
In 1838, Houston County was officially established and named after Sam Houston, a prominent figure in the Texas Revolution and later the Republic of Texas. The county became a focal point during this time, with numerous conflicts between settlers and Native American tribes, as well as various clashes involving Mexican troops.
During the mid-19th century, Houston County experienced rapid growth and development, as many settlers were attracted to the area's fertile soil and abundant natural resources. Immigrants from various European countries, such as Germany and Austria, arrived in large numbers, contributing to the cultural diversity of the county. Additionally, the construction of railroads in the late 1800s played a pivotal role in fostering economic growth and connecting Houston County to neighboring regions.
In the 20th century, Houston County faced several challenges, including the Great Depression and the decline of the timber industry. However, the discovery of oil in neighboring counties brought new economic opportunities to the region and provided a much-needed boost to Houston County's economy. Today, Houston County continues to thrive as a vibrant rural community, with a rich history that is celebrated through numerous historic sites, museums, and events that showcase its past.
Houston County Timeline
This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Houston County, Texas.
- 1837 - Houston County is created and organized from Nacogdoches County.
- 1839 - The county seat, Crockett, is established and named after David Crockett.
- 1854 - The Houston and Great Northern Railroad is built through the county, boosting economic development.
- 1861-1865 - Houston County residents actively participate in the Civil War.
- 1881 - The discovery of oil in the county leads to an oil boom.
- 1893 - The Houston County courthouse is destroyed by fire.
- 1936 - The Texas State Park Board establishes Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area.
- 1968 - Hurricane Beulah causes significant damage to the county.
- 2008 - Hurricane Ike causes widespread destruction and power outages in the area.
- 2020 - Houston County celebrates its 183rd anniversary.