Real County Courthouse
Leakey, Real County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Leakey was the county seat of Edwards County from 1883 to 1891 when a vote moved the seat to Rocksprings. Real County, named for businessman and State Senator Julius Real, was organized from parts of Edwards, Kerr and Bandera counties in April 1913. Leakey was named the county seat and a temporary building was erected on the square. Controversy over the site of the county seat continued for several years, so Judge D. D. Thompson began planning for a permanent courthouse upon his election in 1917. Voters approved bonds to finance a permanent structure. The bonds were financed through Hanover National Bank of New York. Architect H. A. Reuter designed the 1918 courthouse, and the firm of McCreary and Schott served as contractors. According to oral history, a local builder known as "Scotty" Archibald made a significant contribution, as well. E. F. Vanderbilt was construction superintendent. Using native limestone quarried from Tucker Hollow near the site, workers erected Reuter's vision of a Classical Revival edifice with a fortress-like façade. The rusticated limestone bands were laid in regular courses with quicklime bonding to create the building's texture and solid feel. A stone pediment with simple cornice topped by a standing seam metal roof contributes to the building's character. Renovations and additions made in 1978 transformed the original doors into large central windows with flat arch and transoms. The fine structure retains its original flavor and distinctive features and remains the center of Real County government. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When Real County was carved from neighboring counties in 1913 and named for rancher and state senator Julius Real, its residents wrangled for years over where to seat the government. Judge D. D. Thompson pushed for a permanent courthouse, and in 1918 architect H. A. Reuter's Classical Revival design rose from native limestone quarried nearby at Tucker Hollow. Its rusticated, fortress-like walls still anchor the square in Leakey.
Why it matters
The courthouse embodies the civic ambition of young Texas counties, whose limestone temples of government asserted permanence and pride on a rugged rural landscape.
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Related people
- · Julius Real
- · H. A. Reuter
Related events
- · Construction of Real County Courthouse (1918)
Themes & tags
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Real County
Leakey, TX
In the rugged canyon country of the Edwards Plateau, the settlement of Leakey straddled a county line, forcing residents to trek over mountains and rivers to conduct official business after the county seat moved to Rocksprings in 1891. After a rejected 1895 petition, the legislature finally created a new county in 1913—named, by amendment, for rancher and senator Julius Real. Farming and ranching sustained a rural way of life until highways arrived in the 1930s and, later, tourism and hunting reshaped the local economy.