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 The Bexar County Courthouse
N 29° 25.436 W 098° 29.613
14R E 549125 N 3255061
To the right of the north entrance doors into the Bexar County Courthouse is a historic marker that summarizes the building and expansion of this downtown San Antonio landmark.
Waymark Code: WMCFYJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/03/2011
Views: 10
The Bexar County Courthouse is a red granite building that is placed in the Main Plaza as the original founders of San Antonio intended. This is built over the location where other courthouses have also been built in times past. This is the fourth one to "hold court" in San Antonio since Texas became part of the United States. The official address of the Bexar County Courthouse is 100 Dolorosa, San Antonio, TX.
Marker Number: 399
Marker Text:
This courthouse occupies the south side of Main Plaza, formerly called “La Plazade las Islas”, as originally laid out by the Canary Islanders in 1731. As it was then, this plaza is the administrative and judicial heart of Bexar County.
This is the fourth edifice to house the government of the county since Texas entered the United States. The citizens authorized $621,000 worth of bonds in the 1890s to finance its construction. James Riely Gordon (1863-1937), architect for many imposing public buildings, including at least one state capitol, submitted the award-winning Romanesque design for this courthouse. The builders were George Dugan, David Hughes, and Otto P. Kroeger. The foundation was laid in 1891, and the structure was completed in 1896. Native Texas granite and red sandstone are basic materials of the massive building. Towers roofed in green and red tile, handsome columns and arches, carvings, and many fine interior details give the edifice great distinction.
Additions in 1914 and 1926 continued the use of Texas granite and sandstone. Expansions in 1963, 1970, and 1973 employed other materials, however, and also altered portions of the original design.
(1976)
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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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