Trinity County has had 5 courthouses:
1850, 1857 - Sumpter
1874 - Pennington
1884, and 1914 - Groveton
In 1854 Sumpter, a primitive village, was declared county seat, and a small courthouse and jail were built.
In May 1873, a few months after the Sumpter courthouse burned with most of the county records, the town of Trinity became the seat of government for the county.
The next year, after another election, Pennington became the county seat; its courthouse burned in 1876. Then in 1882 the county’s voters chose to make Groveton the new county seat.
The present day County Courthouse located in Groveton, Texas, designed by architect C. H. Page was built in 1914 and incorporated a previous building that had been built on the site in 1908, known as the records vault building.
The 1914 Trinity County Courthouse is an excellent example of an early 20th century Beaux Arts style courthouse in a rural Texas county. The Courthouse is the centerpiece of three County Government buildings located on a square in the center of town. The linear planned, 19,000 Square foot Courthouse building has a three-story central section flanked by two-story wings. The load bearing masonry walls, faced in red brick, rest on a raised concrete perimeter beam and slab.
The entry portico, balustraded parapet, cast concrete masonry accents, and painted metal cornice work defines the Beaux Arts Classical style.
The Courthouse has undergone only minor alterations over its life, including the addition of an accessible ramp on the back side and the addition of air conditioning and lay-in ceilings on the interior. The central corridors and stairwells have never been air-conditioned and retain their original finishes.
The courthouse is flanked on the west by the Jail and The Rock Building to the east. The compact, rectangular planned, two-story jail, constructed of dressed fieldstone, evokes the solidity, security and power of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The “Rock Building”, built of local random laid fieldstone, is more residential in scale with the exception of the crenellated, arched entry portico. Both buildings were built by the Work Projects Administration in 1939 and are in fair condition.
The Courthouse serves as a powerful centering focus on the prominent site, and is flanked by two historic Works Progress Administration buildings that, like the courthouse, have been in continuous use as a county agency. Together, these buildings create a place that provides an important local government function, creates a community focal point and provides a sense of local identity within its historic context.
Trinity County Courthouse
The Trinity County Courthouse, designed by architect C. H. Page, was built in 1914. Mr. Page was ordered by the Trinity County Commissioner’s Court to design a courthouse that would incorporate a previous building that had been built on the site in 1908, known as the records vault. The records vault building was designed by in 1908 by architect, L. S. Green in the Beaux Arts style. The courthouse designed by C. H. Page seamlessly incorporated the 1908 records vault wing.
The cast in place concrete foundation, painted white, forms a plinth for the building. The white plinth, masonry accents, cornice and wood windows stand out against the red face brick. The footprint of the courthouse building is more linear than rectangular and incorporates characteristic features of the Beaux Arts style including brick pilasters, window surrounds with decorative white cast stone detailing, parapet at the roofline, a wide dentilated cornice and accent band, a pedimented main entry portico with balustraded parapet above and pedimented secondary entries.
The building has a three story central section flanked on either side with a two-story wing. The north and south elevations are 15 bays wide and the narrower east and west elevations are only 1 bay wide with brick pilasters separating each bay.
Each elevation of the courthouse wings and center volume are similarly detailed and arranged. The south side of the building facing West First Street is the focal point of the building. Wide steps leading to each of the three front entries are flanked on either side with concrete plinths. There are three entrances on the south elevation and three entrances on the north elevation. Each doorway has massive wood doors, embellished with concentric raised circles, set beneath a transom window covered with decorative metal grilles, a white metal pediment, and flanked by brick pilasters. The main entry features a three-story portico with four Tuscan columns and pilasters and a pair of copper clad doors.
Each elevation features symmetrically placed windows. Most of the original wood sash windows are intact throughout the building. Window frames, trim and mullions are painted white. Each window has a brick surround with white cast concrete and corner accents. The windows on the first floor are single 12/2 double hung separated by brick pilasters. The second-story windows are two sets of 4/4 sash windows separated by a center mullion. The third-story windows are smaller pairs 4/4 sash windows separated by a center mullion. Air conditioning units were added to the some of the windows over the years. The 1908 wing has the original iron bars installed on the first floor windows.
The 1914 courthouse is a linear central hall plan with offices on either side of the hall Stairs at the east and west secondary entrances provide access to the upper floors. Marble wainscoting of the first floor main entry is original to the building. The light fixtures in the main hallway appear to be historic gaslights, which have been electrified. Further research is being conducted to accurately date the electrical fixtures through out the building. Most of the original office doors with overhead transoms are in place throughout the building.
The current Trinity County Courthouse is the first to have electricity and indoor plumbing and was originally heated with steam. Individual offices now have window type heating and cooling units. Two original fireplaces are located in the first and second floor of the original 1908 wing. They have been sealed, but the original mantels and surrounds remain.
To reduce heating and cooling costs, lay in ceilings in the offices and courtroom and central air conditioning for the courtroom were installed in 1961 (Welch, June and Nance, Larry, The Texas Courthouse, p. 324). The historic plaster ceilings and wood crown mouldings remain above these suspended ceilings throughout the building. Hallways remain as originally constructed, having never been air conditioned.
Above the lay in ceiling in the courtroom is a treasure of historic plaster truncated arches, elaborate plaster crown molding, clerestory windows and vintage light fixtures. The light fixtures are not original to the courtroom; rather they appear to date around the 1940’s.
Though plans were drawn up for an elevator in the 70’s it was never installed.
With the exception of a fire escape, handicapped ramp on the north elevation, and the addition of window air conditioning units, the exterior appearance of the courthouse remains as it did upon completion in 1914.
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