Jeff Davis County Courthouse

Although the area of Jeff Davis County initially developed around an important trade and travel route of the western frontier and the military post of Fort Davis established to protect it, the 1911 Jeff Davis County Courthouse was emblematic of the county's newfound prosperity in an economy based on agriculture and tourism. It also represents the regained importance of the town of Fort Davis as the county seat and center of this new economy. Designed by L.L. Thurmon, the building is also an excellent example of an early 20th-century Classical Revival courthouse, as adapted to the smaller and less wealthy counties of rural Texas. It is nominated in the area of Government and Architecture, both at the local level of significance.

Early Settlement in the Region

Jeff Davis County lies in the Davis Mountains of west Texas' Trans-Pecos region. The county seat, Fort Davis, is at the base of the mountains, at the intersection of State Highways 17 and 118 in the southeast part of the county. Despite limited Spanish exploration in the 16 and 17 centuries, the remote area was primarily inhabited by nomadic Native Americans, especially Mescalero Apaches, until the middle of the 19th century (Kohout 1996b: 3:922; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 1-10).

After the Mexican-American War, the United States was intent on opening up the new western territories to settlement and sent army explorers and surveyors into the area. By 1849, the "Lower" or "Military Road" had opened from San Antonio to El Paso, passing through today's Jeff Davis County. The road, which was incorporated into the Overland Trail, was both a primary route for "Forty-Niners" and subsequent California emigres and an important freighting trail from Indianola, on the Gulf Coast, to Mexico and beyond. To protect the road's travelers and freight, the federal government established army posts along the Military Road, including Fort Davis (NHL 1966) in 1854. A small community of civilians, Chihuahua, grew up outside the fort proper. A little farther from the fort's walls, the community of La Limpia was also emerging around a Gidding-Skillman stage stop founded in 1854 (Kohout 1996b: 3: 922; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 11-54).

Recognizing this new growth, the Texas legislature sought to define and organize the region, which was still merely an extension of the vast Bexar County. In 1848, the legislature created Santa Fe County, stretching from the Pecos River west to the Rio Grande, in present-day New Mexico, and extending as far north as present-day Wyoming. In January 1850, Santa Fe County, which had already been reduced considerably in size, was divided to create the additional counties of Worth, El Paso, and Presidio, the latter of which included most of Texas' Trans-Pecos region. Over the next few decades, the Texas legislature made several attempts to organize Presidio County, with little result. Although Presidio del Norte was designated as the county seat in 1858, most of the county's business was conducted in El Paso until Presidio County was officially organized in 1875 (Kohout 1996b: 3: 922; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 11-34, 91-94; Gournay 1995: 61).

The Civil War brought a good deal of dislocation to the Trans-Pecos region. With the outbreak of war in 1861, Fort Davis was surrendered to Confederate troops with no resistance, but hostile Mescalero Apaches forced the Confederate troops out, along with most of the area's citizens and ranchers. The fort remained abandoned throughout the war but was reoccupied by federal troops in 1867 and enlarged. Indian hostilities made the protection of the Military Road even more important than it had been before the Civil War, and Fort Davis became the center of operations against the Apaches (Kohout 1996b: 3: 923; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 11-54).

In 1871 the Texas legislature split Presidio County, creating Pecos County to the north and east. In 1875, Presidio County was finally officially organized and operational, and the town of Fort Davis was selected as the county seat (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 91-94; Gournay 1995: 89, 61). The town of Fort Davis, which grew out of the Chihuahua and La Limpia settlements, was the area's most important community in the 1870s and a logical choice for the county seat. It was a trade and market center for the fort and surrounding ranches and an established stop on one of the state's most important trade and travel routes.

In 1880, when the town's population stood between 1000 and 1100, the county built its first courthouse, an adobe structure on land donated by local merchant Whittaker Keesey (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 54-113). Unlike most other Texas county seats, the courthouse square in Fort Davis was not part of an overall town plat. Instead, the town had developed rather haphazardly along the route of the Military Road near the fort. Jacobson and Nored (1993: 94) noted that the land donated for the courthouse "was well south of the established part of town which clustered around the fort and near the Hispanic settlement called Chihuahua...."

In the 1880s, the importance of Fort Davis began to fade. In 1883, due in part to the success of army troops at the fort in quelling Apache hostilities, the Southern Pacific railroad completed its line through Texas. Avoiding the Davis Mountains, the rail line bypassed Fort Davis, stopping instead at the new towns of Marfa and Valentine to the south and west, respectively (Kohout 1996b: 3: 923; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 105-136). In 1885, the Tenth Cavalry, a legendary regiment of "Buffalo Soldiers" and the principal military force in west Texas, was reassigned to Arizona, signaling the beginning of the end of Fort Davis' military post. Spurred by the town's waning significance, more than 100 county residents petitioned the Commissioners Court in May 1885 to move the county seat. In the ensuing election, Marfa was chosen as the new Presidio County seat by a difference of 89 votes (more than 12 percent of the 693 total votes). Fort Davis did not give up without a fight, and an ex-Texas Ranger eventually had to persuade the county treasurer to give up the county's fiscal records and funds (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 134-135).

Establishment of Jeff Davis County

After the relocation of the county seat to Marfa, Fort Davis residents no longer wanted to be associated with Presidio County and petitioned the legislature for county status of their own. As a result, on March 15, 1887, Jeff Davis County was created from the northern portion of Presidio County. The new county was organized on May 24, 1887, and Fort Davis was once again designated a county seat (Kohout 1996b: 3: 923; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 158; Gournay 1995: 110).

Despite the separation, Presidio County's government felt that Jeff Davis County taxpayers were still obligated to help pay for the 1886 courthouse built in Marfa. In litigation that lasted from 1889 to 1899, the two counties sought to resolve the issue. The state's highest court finally ruled that Jeff Davis County was indeed responsible for a portion of the debt, and the county paid almost $34,000 to Presidio County in May 1901 (JDCCCM I: 96-537 passim).
Although Fort Davis had regained county seat status, it was further strained by the gradual abandonment of the military fort. The fort had little reason to exist after Indian hostilities were resolved, and it slowly declined during the 1880s until ordered abandoned in 1891 (Kohout 1996b: 3: 923; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 105-136). The town followed the fort's decline, and from 1885 to 1896 the population fell from about 2000 to 500.

By the turn of the century, however, the town and county had begun to recover. Cattle ranching was well-established and the area's apple orchards were gaining national recognition. The mild summer climate and nearby rail access also made Fort Davis and the Davis Mountains a popular destination for Gulf Coast families. A 1904 court ruling on the county's disputed boundary with Presidio County included the rail town of Valentine in Jeff Davis County, further enhancing the county's economy (Kohout 1996a: 2: 1098; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 173).

Jeff Davis County Courthouse

With prosperity returning, it is little wonder that the county began to think about a new courthouse. They were still using the adobe courthouse built for Presidio County in 1880. The original, U-shaped building, probably had only three rooms. The jail was an underground cellar, accessible through a trap door in the guard room, with narrow window slits at the top of the wall and six iron rings for chaining prisoners (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 96). As early as 1883, the Presidio County Commissioners had considered building a new courthouse, but bids for a new two-story building were rejected.
They did approve bids for additional rooms for the jail and clerk's office, but only five jail cages appear to have ever been added. In 1888, soon after Jeff Davis County took over the adobe courthouse, the Commissioners Court ordered repairs and changes made to the building. An adobe vault was built "in the unused room of the courthouse that opens into the S. W. corner of the courtyard." Two brick flues were also constructed, and stoves were purchased for the jail, courtroom, grand jury room, and sheriff's office (JDCCCM 1: 59-60, 90). Photographs after the turn of the century show the old courthouse with pitched roofs and plastered or stuccoed exterior walls, most likely additional repairs made to protect the adobe walls (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 96).

It seems that few would have contested Jeff Davis County's need for a new courthouse, but their needs may have been delayed by their court-ordered contribution to Presidio County's courthouse. By 1910, however, the adobe courthouse was nearly unusable. The roof had had numerous repairs, and the jail facilities could not be used at all. On May 30, 1910, the Commissioners Court met with Dallas architect L. (Leslie) L. Thurmon. A Louisiana native who had also spent time in Georgia, Thurmon practiced out of Dallas from approximately 1910 to 1915, during which time he designed several county courthouses in Texas. Before being commissioned by Jeff Davis County, Thurmon had already designed courthouses for Mason (1909-10) and Kinney (1910) counties, and he went on to design courthouses for Floyd County (1911), and Franklin County (1912).

Although Jeff Davis County was physically isolated from much of Texas, the architectural style that Thurmon and the commissioners chose for the new courthouse was extremely popular throughout the state and the nation. The Classical Revival style was perhaps introduced in Texas with the construction of the new state capitol (1882-1888), and the 1893 World's Fair made it even more popular for public buildings throughout the country. Robinson (1983: 200) noted that counties were particularly attracted to "colossal columns, wide entablatures, stately pediments, and spacious rotundas, all inspired by ancient Roman or Renaissance architecture. Classicism provided impressions of dignity and grace, of elegance and distinction, all meaningful to the people who build new public structures." The interiors, as well, were meant to reflect their high purposes with rotundas and stained glass.

Tarrant (1893-1895), Harrison (1899-1900), McLennan (1901-1902), Fort Bend (1907), and Harris (1908-1910) counties built some of the more monumental examples of the form in Texas (Robinson 1983: 202- 219). However, the style was also adaptable to smaller county facilities, including those designed by Thurmon as well as those in Bee (1911-1912), Carson (1909), San Saba (1910-1911), Hardeman (1908), and Scurry (1909-1911) counties. All feature classical columns, symmetrical proportions, entablatures, pediments, and rotundas, usually expressed on the exterior by a dome or tower (Robinson 1983: 209-221). Indeed, 100 of Texas' 254 extant county courthouses were built in Classical Revival styles during the first forty years of the twentieth century, two-thirds of which were erected before World War I. Of the pre-war buildings, the central dome was an important, almost ubiquitous design element. Sometimes true classically proportioned domes, at other times classically embellished lantern towers, the dome came to embody Republican self-government at this most local level of democracy (Henry 1993: 76, 27).

All of Thurmon's courthouses were in a similar Classical Revival style with monumental porticoes and central domed cupolas. He may even have used the same set of plans for all of them, each with modifications for specific needs and budget constraints. Jeff Davis County records indicate that the Commissioners, "agreed to build a Court House following the plan and specifications of the Court House built by (Thurmon) for Mason County, and to Cost, no more than $40,000 including the necessary plumbing, and further agreed upon building a one-story Jail either of rock or Cement in accordance with the ground plan of a Jail this day exhibited by the said Thurmond [sic] to cost no more than $6,000" (JDCCCM 2:140). The original drawings for the courthouse include two sets of plans. The first set, signed by Thurmon, do not include the name of the project and may be somewhat generic "courthouse" plans. The drawings in the second set are titled "Fireproofing Plans" and are labeled as being specific to the Jeff Davis County courthouse. The "Fireproofing Plans" reference Thurmon's drawings but include changes to the structure and finishes. Several ornamental features shown in Thurmon's drawings, including carved marble inlays for the exterior recessed concrete panels and oak paneling in the interior, were also excluded.

Jeff Davis County paid Thurmon $1410 for his plans, and, on August 13, 1910, awarded a building contract for $48,470 to Falls City Construction Company of Lexington, Kentucky to erect the courthouse and jail (JDCCCM 2:140, 144-173). Although it was an out-of-state firm, Falls City Construction Company also had a history of building courthouses in Texas, including those in Carson, Rains, and Deaf Smith counties (JDCCCM 2: 147-169; Robinson 1883: 218; Kelsey and Dyal 1993: 89, 210).

Falls City Construction Company agreed to "furnish all material and labor, and erect complete the new County Court House and jail... in full accordance with the plans and specifications for these buildings as prepared by L. L. Thurmon and Co.... and as modified by fire-proof plans submitted herewith." In addition, Falls City responded to a series of allowances and alternates in the original bid. The company proposed to use "twisted steel bars" as reinforcement in the concrete foundation and employ Mackey Brick and Tile Company pressed brick "from the first story sill course to the top of second story wing windows." The company also stated that they would install 8, 10, or 12-inch courses of local stone as appropriate for an additional $1500. The company proposed to use a combination of hollow tile and concrete in the fireproof construction. The company also specified the following optional allowances from which the county could choose: electric light wiring, $425, interior wall decoration, $375, installation of roughed-in plumbing pipes, $330, installation of plumbing fixtures, $340, installation of a steam heating system, including basement for boiler and fuel room, $2000.

According to the contract, the county initially accepted only the addition of the stone facing, but in December the Commissioners Court approved an additional $330 for plumbing pipes and $340 for acetylene gas pipes for lighting. Despite the inclusion of roughed-in plumbing, however, bathrooms were not added until the county built a septic system for the courthouse in 1914 (JDCCCM 2:144-173, 183, 184; Jacobson and Nored 1993: 172).

The court issued county warrants backed by a special tax to pay for the new courthouse, which included purchasing narrow strips of land on the south and east sides of the lot from Whittaker Keesey to "square up" the courthouse property, and construction began. (In 1920 the courthouse and jail warrants were fully paid and the special tax was discontinued.) The courthouse was sited in the exact center of the newly squared block, with the jail on a separate site to the south. The county accepted the courthouse and jail on March 25, 1911, in their first meeting in the new building (JDCCCM 1:199).

The 1880 adobe courthouse was torn down soon after the offices and records had been moved to the new building. According to Jacobson and Nored (1993:173), "The dirt from the adobe walls was to be used to level the courthouse and jail yards. George McGuire offered to pay the county $50 to do the work and receive all salvageable material from the old building. McGuire built himself a house in Chihuahua with what he salvaged from the old Courthouse." The site of the old courthouse has been disturbed very little since then, and an archeological investigation would most likely yield interesting information about the facilities and practices of the 19th-century government in Jeff Davis County.

The 1911 courthouse was part of a larger building boom in Fort Davis during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Several new commercial buildings were constructed in the courthouse's immediate surroundings. The newly established Union Trading Company, a group of stockholders that purchased and expanded Whittaker Keesey's general store, constructed a new building in 1906. "The Union," which sat just across the street from the courthouse site, was the largest and most important mercantile store in Fort Davis, and perhaps the whole county, for decades to come. The Limpia Hotel was constructed just north of the courthouse in 1913, and, soon after, the Fort Davis State Bank, which also housed the local Oddfellows Lodge, was built next to "The Union" just east of the courthouse. At least three blacksmith shops and an auto garage with gas pumps were also built near the courthouse in the early part of the 20th century. This period of construction defined the Fort Davis commercial district, which was centering more and more on the courthouse square. The Fort Davis Commercial Club, a forerunner of today's Chamber of Commerce, was established and began advertising the town's new amenities throughout the region and beyond (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 173-178).

The Jeff Davis County Courthouse was rapidly assuming its appropriate role in the civic and social life of Fort Davis and the whole county. When formally opened in March 1911, the courthouse housed a large dance. In 1915 the district courtroom housed the first three grades of the local school. With the advent of World War I, the courthouse was the scene of the first Army Registration Day. Large community dances were held in the courthouse through 1939. Between 1933 and 1939 the sheriff supervised Fourth of July and Christmas dances. The building was also the site of other festivities, including the Fort Davis Study Club Quilt Show in 1932. In 1933 W. D. Smithers was the guest of the Commissioners Court when he was hired to photograph the Scenic Loop (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 223-270; 310).

Beginning in 1934, the county initiated a program to replace the courthouse yard's dying poplar trees with native species. Barry Scobee, who was chairman of the committee formed to oversee the project, began gathering native trees in 1935, and fifty-two had been planted by 1939. In January 1939, with funding and a thirty-man work crew supplied by the WPA, the lawn was leveled and sodded with Bermuda grass and a sprinkler system was installed. Upon completion of the work, Scobee planted sixty-eight more native trees on the grounds. The courthouse square remains a "county arboretum," with examples of numerous indigenous plants and only three non-native trees (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 291).

The Jeff Davis County Courthouse had fallen into disrepair by the 1950s. As discussed in Section 7, major renovations were undertaken in 1956, the most notable of which affected the courtroom. The balcony gallery was removed and the ceiling was lowered to facilitate acoustics and heating, the latter of which was a continuous problem in the large, open space. The courtroom was also furnished with new floors, theater-style seats, a plywood judge's bench, and a matching jury box and railing (Jacobson and Nored 1993: 349).

As the center of county government, the 1911 Jeff Davis County Courthouse has continued to play a primary role in the community. The building represents the county's coming of age and its relatively rapid recovery from the loss of its military significance. The construction of the 1911 courthouse marks Fort Davis' emergence as an important town in its own right, an importance derived from its service as the county's civic and commercial center. As is intended for a county seat, development, growth, and change within the county have centered on Fort Davis ever since, and the courthouse building is both the ceremonial and practical location from which those changes have been overseen. It is therefore nominated under Criterion A in the area of Government at the local level of significance.

The Jeff Davis County Courthouse is also an excellent surviving example of the Classical Revival courthouses built throughout Texas in the early part of the 20th Century. The building's simple, restrained detailing demonstrates how this style was modified to meet the fiscal constraints of smaller counties without sacrificing its grand presence or democratic symbolism. With relatively few modifications, the Jeff Davis County Courthouse remains a model of this building type and is also nominated in the area of Architecture at the local level of significance.