DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. We're talking about the McLennan County Courthouse — and friend, there's more to this building than meets the eye. McLennan County was organized in 1850, and the founders of Waco set it up that way on purpose — they wanted the young city to have added strength, a seat of justice to anchor it all.
Now here's the twist the marker is gracious enough to call ironic: until the early twentieth century, the county outstripped the city in prosperity. The very thing built to prop up Waco ended up thriving on its own terms. That is Texas for you.
The courthouse standing today is the county's fourth — count 'em, four — and it rose during the peak of central Texas cotton wealth. That timing matters. This wasn't a modest little structure thrown up between harvests.
This was a statement. Architect J. Riely Gordon of Dallas brought a Renaissance Revival design, and he built it to last and to impress — steel, limestone, concrete, and marble, with Texas red granite laid in the rusticated base.
Inside those walls you'll find numerous state, district, and county courts, and a law library open to all citizens. Not just lawyers. Not just the well-heeled.
All citizens. For a building born out of a calculated move to give a young city added strength, it turns out the courthouse ended up belonging to everybody.
What the marker says
Seat of Justice for county organized in 1850 by founders of Waco, to give the young city added strength. Ironically, until the early 20th century, county oustripped city in prosperity. This courthouse (the county's fourth) was built during peak of central Texas cotton wealth. The renaissance revival design by J.Riely Gordon of Dallas uses steel, limestone, concrete, and marble, with Texas red granite in the rusticated base. Housed here are numerous state, district, and county courts, with a law library open to all citizens.