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 Site of Second Travis County Courthouse and Walton Building
N 30° 16.345 W 097° 44.457
14R E 621104 N 3349642
A state historic marker at the site of the second Travis County Courthouse and Walton building, razed in 1964 and now a parking lot.
Waymark Code: WMH455
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/19/2013
Views: 9
A state historic marker at the site of the second Travis County Courthouse and Walton building, at the corner of 11st St and Congress Ave across the street from the State Capitol.
The wonderful Victorian building was razed in 1964. The historic 1910s photo credit belongs to the Travis County Historical Society.
This is one of two historic markers at this site.
Marker Number: 15063
Marker Text:
Built 1875 in term of County Judge James W. Smith, former officials on committees for site and building include Governor E. M. Pease, Secretary of State C. S. West, Attorney General N. G. Shelley, Treasurer James H. Raymond and Legislator George Hancock.
In era when Texas was gaining world renown, home of outstanding courts, able judges, brilliant bar, one tenant of its fortress-style jail was author William Sidney Porter (O. Henry), after his return to Austin in 1897 to be with his dying wife and face trial on embezzlement charges.
In 1931 the county accepted a block of land in exchange for cancellation of its 99-year lease on this site. Courthouse towers and jail were removed, State offices moved in – Game, Fish and Oyster Commission, Department of Education, Banking Department.
The public competition for a name, “Walton Building” was chosen for fisherman’s patron Izaak Walton (1593-1683) and for Wm. M. “Buck” Walton (1832-1915), Adjutant General in Terrell’s Confederate Brigade, Attorney General of Texas, famed for a colorful law career.
The massive 3-story Victorian limestone structure with impressive carved entrance was razed in 1964. (1965)
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.
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