DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Hopkins County Courthouse in Hopkins County. Now settle in, because this story starts with fire and ends with a clock that never got bought. The third Hopkins County Courthouse was built in 1882, and it stood right up until February 11, 1894, when a fire came through and made short work of it.
Didn't stop there either — the jail burned too, along with several nearby structures. When the smoke cleared, the people of Hopkins County had some decisions to make. Plans were drawn up for a new court building, and right here is where the story gets a little unusual.
Rather than plant the new courthouse in the middle of the block, the way the very first edifice had stood, they chose this corner. Now, most Texas courthouses sit smack in the center of the public square — that's just how it's done across this state. But Hopkins County went a different direction, and so this building faces the square instead of commanding the center of it.
A quiet little act of architectural independence, right there. To design the thing, they brought in James Riely Gordon — born in 1864, died in 1937 — a popular courthouse architect out of San Antonio who had something of a signature style. The construction went to the Dallas firm of Sonnefield and Emmins.
And to keep an eye on the work, Austin architect A. O. Watson was hired to inspect.
Watson admired the plans, but he did suggest adding some bracing to strengthen the stonework. Whether that slowed things down or not, the marker doesn't say, but what it does say is that the building was completed on August 22, 1895, at a final cost of seventy-five thousand dollars. Now, some citizens had a request.
They wanted a clock for the tower. Seemed like a reasonable thing to ask — you've got this grand tower reaching up into the sky, might as well put a clock on it. The county commissioners, however, had other ideas.
They refused to provide the funds, and so that tower has stood ever since, keeping no time for nobody. What the building does have is red granite — deep and rich — with sandstone trim for contrast, all worked into what's called the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the massive, heavy, powerful look that Gordon returned to again and again. The courthouse rises three stories, and at the northwest and southwest corners, quarter-circular porches mark the entrances, giving the whole structure a kind of welcoming solidity.
Fire took the third courthouse. What rose in its place was something built to last — right down to the stonework that got extra bracing, just to be sure. The only thing missing is a clock on that tower, and if you glance up there as you drive past, well, now you know exactly why it's blank.
What the marker says
The third Hopkins County Courthouse, built in 1882, was destroyed on Feb. 11, 1894 by a fire that also burned the jail and several nearby structures. Plans were soon made for a new court building to be erected on this corner rather than in the middle of the block where the first edifice stood. The site is unusual because most Texas courthouses are located in the center of the public square, not facing it. The new structure was designed by James Riely Gordon (1864-1937), popular courthouse architect from San Antonio, and constructed by the Dallas firm of Sonnefield and Emmins. Austin architect A. O. Watson was hired to inspect the work. He admired the plans but suggested bracing to strengthen the stonework. The building was completed on Aug. 22, 1895, at a final cost of $75,000. A clock for the tower was requested by some citizens, but county commissioners refused to provide funds for it. Made of red granite with contrasting sandstone trim, the Hopkins County Courthouse is a fine example of the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style which Gordon often used. The quarter-circular porches at the northwest and southwest corners mark entrances to the three-story edifice. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975