Johnson County Courthouse

Built in 1913 in Classical Revival with Prarie Style influences architectual style by architect Lang and Witchell.

The Johnson County Courthouse is a freestanding structure occupying a full block at the heart of the Cleburne commercial district. The structure is essentially rectangular in shape, with the East and West facades representing the longer sides of the rectangle. It is three stories high with a full, raised basement and a square tower rising another five stories. There are generally paired, one-over-one windows; most retain their wooden frames. The roof is flat, except for a hemispherical dome atop the tower. The basement level is clad in Texas pink granite ashlar, while the brickwork of the first floor is rusticated. Second and third floors are faced with smooth Elgin brick, and all four sides have central colonnades with stylized, Giant Order Composite columns. The entablature over the colonnades has an incised inscription: 'A.D. Johnson County 1912 and symmetrically placed Sullivanesque pendants at the sides and on the tops of the paired east and west faade pylons. The Courthouse is surmounted by an approximately 90' central clock tower. The first floor of the tower contains courthouse storage and the upper portion of the central atrium, while the bulk of the tower is a hollow shaft. The upper portion of the tower has clocks facing cardinal directions flanked by terra cotta ornamentation in a chain like pattern, which in turn have Sullivanesque pendants below. Unquestionably the most spectacular interior space in the Courthouse is the six-story central atrium. Rising from the basement level, the atrium has Georgia creole marble facing the corner walls and balconies on the first, second and third floors. Rich, Sullivanesque detailing is found along the cornice, architraves and along the chamfered corners. An octagonal art glass skylight crowns the atrium; especially noteworthy are the Lone Star cartouches along the four wider sides. Other interior spaces are more conventional. Most of the hall spaces have Georgia creole marble wainscoting and tile floors. Two panel doors with crinkle glass transoms remain throughout most of the building and have simple brass hardware. Cast metal stairs have Prairie School balustrades of note, and the 118th District Courtroom has very fine ornamental plaster cornices in a Sullivanesque design; unfortunately, a false ceiling was installed in 1967, but the original remains largely intact above. An account of the courthouse at the time of its opening noted that most ceilings in the Courthouse were painted a light buff and walls a dark shade of silver green; courtroom walls were circassion brown with ivory and gold cornices. All are presently painted white. The newly completed courthouse was accepted by the Johnson County Commissioners Court on November 28, 1913. Cost estimates varied from $194,606 to $226,000. It has served as the seat of Johnson County government for 75 years, and in that time has played an important role in the lives of the citizens of Johnson County. The Courthouse has been a source of pride to the citizens of the county since its construction.

Current status: Active Courthouse