Donley County Courthouse
Clarendon, Donley County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Designed by the architectural firm of Bulger and Rapp, and built by Troutman Brothers Contractors, both of Trinidad, Colorado, this distinctive public building opened in November 1891. The original Romanesque Revival design included prominent towers, contrasting red brick and quarried limestone, and complex projecting elements. Work in the 1930s resulted in removal of the entire third floor, as well as many architectural details. The county restored the courthouse to its original splendor and rededicated it on July 4, 2003. Today, it is the oldest functioning courthouse in the Texas Panhandle. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2006
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Designed by Bulger and Rapp and built by the Troutman Brothers of Trinidad, Colorado, the Donley County Courthouse opened in November 1891 as a striking Romanesque Revival landmark of towers, red brick, and limestone. Remodeling in the 1930s stripped away the entire third floor and much of its ornament, but a careful restoration returned it to its original grandeur, rededicated on July 4, 2003. It is now the oldest functioning courthouse in the Texas Panhandle.
Why it matters
As the Panhandle's oldest working courthouse, it stands for the reach of civic architecture and county government into the last frontier of Texas settlement.
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Related people
- · Bulger and Rapp
Themes & tags
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