Erath County Courthouse

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Erath County Courthouse, and friends, this one earns every word. Now, before there was a courthouse, there was a county, and before there was a county, there was a man. The town of Stephenville was founded in 1854, named for an early settler and land donor by the name of John M.

Stephen. Two years on, in 1856, Erath County was created, and Stephenville became its county seat. They needed a courthouse, so they built one.

Wood frame, raised in 1856. It did its job. And then, in 1866, fire took it.

Now, Erath County didn't quit. Counties rarely do. They kept on, kept growin, and by 1890 something interesting was happenin out on the Texas plains.

An economic boom had settled over the county like a welcome change in weather. The railroad had reached the area in 1889, and with it came shipping opportunities, and with those came business, and with business came money, and with money came ambition. So in 1891, the county commissioners called for bids to design a new courthouse.

A proper one this time. The winning design came from a man named J. Riely Gordon.

The construction contract went to S. A. Tomlinson of Fort Worth.

Now, here's what makes Gordon worth a second look. He had already left his mark right there on the Stephenville town square, having designed the First National Bank and the Crow Opera House before this commission ever came to him. He would go on to become a nationally known architect, well regarded specifically for his Texas courthouse designs.

And the courthouse he gave Erath County? It is a distinctive rendition of the Romanesque Revival style. Completed in 1892.

Built from locally-quarried limestone, accented with Pecos sandstone. That combination of materials, that heft and color, gives it a presence you don't forget. At the center of it all rises a clock tower.

That tower has been the most prominent feature of the surrounding landscape for more than a century. Not the tallest thing ever built in Texas, maybe. But it has been keeping watch over Stephenville longer than most people around here have been alive, and it isn't going anywhere.

A 1988 restoration project added an adjacent courthouse annex, making sure this landmark stays in fighting shape. One fire in 1866 couldn't stop Erath County. One boom in 1890 gave it something worth building.

And one architect, one design, one quarry's worth of limestone and a touch of Pecos sandstone gave it something that has anchored that town square ever since. That clock tower doesn't just tell the time. It tells the story.

What the marker says

Founded in 1854 and named for early settler and land donor John M. Stephen, the town of Stephenville became county seat when Erath County was created in 1856. The first county courthouse, a wood frame structure built in 1856, was destroyed by fire in 1866. By 1890 Erath County was experiencing an economic boom. The railroad had reached this area in 1889, and local business increased as shipping opportunities improved. County commissioners called for bids to design a new courthouse in 1891. J. Riely Gordon submitted the winning design. The construction contract was awarded to S. A. Tomlinson of Fort Worth. Gordon, who became a nationally known architect, had designed two earlier buildings on the town square (the First National Bank and the Crow Opera House). He is well known for his Texas courthouse designs. A distinctive rendition of the Romanesque Revival style, this courthouse, completed in 1892, features striking use of locally-quarried limestone accented with Pecos sandstone. A 1988 restoration project included the addition of an adjacent courthouse annex. The central clock tower of the historic courthouse has been the most prominent feature of the surrounding landscape for more than a century. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1963