Fort Bend County Courthouse

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm just Duane passin' it along. Now, Fort Bend County has had itself five courthouses over the years, which means four times somebody looked at what they had and said, that is simply not going to do. The county was organized in 1837, so by the time the fifth courthouse came around, Fort Bend had been at this a good while.

That fifth one, the one standin' today, is a classical revival building, and when they finally got around to buildin' it right, they did not hold back. The design came from C. H.

Page of Austin, and the Texas Building Company, also out of Austin, took on the construction. It was dedicated in 1909, and if you've ever stood in front of it, you understand why dedication felt like the right word. The exterior is dressed with a dome, a statue, and cornices of copper.

Copper. Not painted to look like copper. Actual copper, up there catching the Texas light and aging into that deep green that only time can put on metal.

Step inside and it keeps going. There's a three-story rotunda reaching up over your head, mosaic tile floors under your feet, and green glazed tile wainscoting lining the walls. The building wasn't done growing either.

Additions came in 1935 and again in 1957. Some buildings, you add on to them and it shows in all the wrong ways. This one just kept accumulating history, the same way Fort Bend County itself has been doing since 1837.

What the marker says

This classical revival building is the fifth courthouse for Fort Bend County, which was organized in 1837. The structure was designed by C. H. Page of Austin and dedicated in 1909. The contractor was the Texas Building Company, also of Austin. Exterior styling features a dome, statue, and cornices of copper. The interior has a 3-story rotunda, mosaic tile floors, and green glazed tile wainscoting. Additions were made to the courthouse in 1935 and 1957. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980