DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker on this Collin County courthouse tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, every good courthouse has a story behind it, and this one's got layers — so settle in. Collin County was formed in 1846, and at that point it had exactly one town to its name: Buckner.
When you've only got one town, picking a county seat is about as complicated as picking a favorite child when you've only got one child. Buckner got the seat by default. But state law being state law, they had to hold a proper election to relocate the county seat to the center of the county.
And here's where the story gets good. When election day came around, the weather had other ideas. Only eleven people showed up to cast a vote.
Eleven. You could seat them all at one long dinner table. But those eleven souls made it count, and when the tally came in, McKinney was established as the county seat in 1848.
Eleven votes. History made. The early courthouses in McKinney were modest wooden structures — nothing to write home about.
But by 1874, they were ready to do something worth remembering. A third courthouse went up right here on this very site during 1874 and 1875, opened for business in 1876. Two stories of native limestone blocks, a steep mansard roof, a tower, and a main entrance that faced east like it was greeting the sunrise on purpose.
Victorian through and through. Now, people have long credited a man named Charles Wheeler as the architect. Here's the thing — that's wrong.
The building's architect was Charles Wheelock of Sherman. Wheeler, Wheelock — close enough to cause a hundred years of confusion, apparently. That courthouse on the square became something of a local star.
Parades rolled past it. Events gathered around it. The square hummed with life and the courthouse stood right at the center of it all, a backdrop to Collin County doing what Collin County does.
But by the mid-1920s, the old girl was overcrowded and in poor condition. So they didn't tear her down — they transformed her. Extensive renovations, inside and out.
Off came the mansard roof. Off came the tower caps. On went a third story and a basement.
The whole effort was overseen by W. A. Peters, of the Paris, Texas architectural firm of Sparger and Peters, and when the work was done in 1927, what stood here was a classical revival edifice — tripartite windows, double classical columns flanking the north and south facades, the whole dignified package.
Folks took to calling it the Temple of Justice, and it kept right on being the beating heart of city and county functions. It stayed in service as a courthouse all the way until 1979. More than half a century of justice, records, arguments, and history passing through those doors.
What started with eleven votes in a cold election and a limestone building with a misattributed architect became, in the end, a monument to Collin County itself — and it's still standing right here to prove it.
What the marker says
Collin County was formed in 1846 and its only town, Buckner, was automatically selected as the county seat. To comply with state law, an election was held to relocate the county seat to the center of the county. Only eleven people participated due to inclement weather, and when the vote was tallied McKinney was established as the county seat in 1848. The first courthouses in McKinney were modest wooden structures. A third courthouse was erected on this site during 1874-1875, and was opened for use in 1876. The 2-story Victorian structure was made of native limestone blocks with a steep mansard roof and a main entrance that faced east. The building's architect, often mistakenly identified as Charles Wheeler, was Charles Wheelock of Sherman. The much-celebrated courthouse on the square became a backdrop for parades and other events. The structure was overcrowded and in poor condition by the mid-1920s. Extensive exterior and interior renovations included the removal of the mansard roof and tower caps, as well as the addition of a third story and basement. Overseen by W. A. Peters of the Paris, Texas, architectural firm of Sparger and Peters, the work resulted in a classical revival edifice completed in 1927. Original features included tripartite windows with flanking double classical columns on the north and south facades. The new structure was commonly known as the "Temple of Justice," and continued to be the center of activity for city and county functions. It remained in service as a courthouse until 1979. The structure remains a fine example of 20th century classical revival design and a monument to Collin County history. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998