Mason County Courthouse
Mason, Mason County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Constructed in 1909, this is the third courthouse to serve the people of Mason County. Commissioners Court probably met in other locations until the first courthouse was built in 1872. It burned in 1877 and was replaced that year by a second red sandstone building. Designed by E. C. Hosford and built at a cost of $39,796, this Beaux Arts style courthouse features a center dome and clock tower, gable front porticoes with two-story Doric columns, and rusticated stonework with contrasting stone lintels. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1988Courthouse burned Feb. 2021.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Completed in 1909, this was the third courthouse to serve Mason County, following a first built in 1872 and a red sandstone successor that replaced it after an 1877 fire. Designed by E. C. Hosford in the Beaux Arts style with a central dome, clock tower, and rusticated stonework, it anchored the county seat until it too was gutted by fire in 2021.
Why it matters
County courthouses like this one were the proud civic centerpieces of settled Texas towns, embodying the arrival of stable government on the former frontier.
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Related people
- · E. C. Hosford
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Fort Mason and Camp Llano, C.S.A.
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