Hays County Courthouse - San Marcos, TX - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Narrative:

A dominant landmark in San Marcos, Texas, the fourth Hays County Courthouse, built in 1909, reflects early settlement here, when the public square was the nucleus of the 19th century town and the center of its social, commercial, and governmental life. Designed by C.H. Page and Brothers of Austin, this impressive Classical Revival structure in the Corinthian order is arranged in a symmetrical cruciform plan and exhibits fine workmanship, especially in the Greek details of the monumental entrances and design of the interior.

Aligned with a north to south and east to west orientation, the corridors cross to form a three story domed rotunda on the interior. The narrow arms of the cruciform plan project to the north and south, while the wide arms project to the east and west. Corridors extending through both arms of the cross are flanked by offices and originally provided access from all four sides of the building. Entry to the courthouse is now gained only through the south facade which faces San Antonio Street and the north rear entrance which opens on to Hopkins Street.

The structure of the courthouse consists of masonry bearing walls with wood and iron beams. Lath work and plaster cover and protect the ironwork throughout the building. The exterior walls are constructed with Elgin brick of gray and buff tones, while the basement and foundation are stone and cement. Exterior trim, such as the window and door facings, and the continuous moulded stringcourse between the first and second floors, are white limestone. The dominant feature of the courthouse is the monumental, slightly projecting tertrastyle portico of the south facade, with its tall white stone columns topped with Corinthian capitals supporting a full entablature. Large stone pedestals support the four columns which are complimented by two pairs of identical pedestaled columns on either side of the rear north entrance. The entablature of the portico, comprised of a triple fasciaed frieze and cornice with dentils and modillions, continues around the roof line of the structure. A low pitched pediment with dentils, modillions, and a circular window crowns the entablatures above the north and south entrances. Terminating the east and west wings are domed corner projections with rounded pediments with midillions.

Rising above the low hipped roof of the structure is a huge central copper dome supported by an iron and wood frame. A round clock tower located directly above the dome supports a 9 ft. statue of the goddess of Justice with the sword and scales in her hands. It was decided by the Commissioners' Court that their weight would damage the roof and the clocks were never installed in the tower. Fenestration of the building consists of numerous doublehung sash type windows which are arched and accentuated with limestone archivolt trim on the first level. The taller first floor windows located in the rear northern wing are not arched, however, and some facade windows contain louvered shutters. Exterior wall decoration between the floors consists of a moulded limestone stringcourse and a series of squared receding brickwork patterns located between the second and third level windows. Entrances to the central rotunda on the south facade anmd the north rear consist of arched openings with modern glass offices doors. Original heavy double entrance doors with beveled glass panels contain large brass hinges, locks, and knobs, and are still in good repair.

The interior spatial arrangement of the courthouse is centered around the open rotinda on all three floors with offices located in each of the quadrants formed by the corridors. The entire east side of the first floor houses the County Judge's office, the Commissioner's Court, and a receptionist's office, while the County Clerk's office occupies the whole west side. On the first level the arched doorways with the egg-and-dart mouldings open onto the rotunda and terrazo floor containing a central Lone Star mosaic. The circular 14 ft. high wall surrounding the rotunda, with its original brick wainscoting and walnut paneling, contains a marble and iron stairway leading up to the second floor balcony. This elaborate stairway displays its original white plastered walls below. Panelling is not employed on the walls of the second level and the aging plaster is in need of repair. Noteworthy decorative features of the second level balcony include the colorful tile flooring with mosaic designs, thw wrought iron balustrade with iron posts and finials, and an oak handrail. Some of the offices on the second level iclude the Sherrif's Department, Justice of the Peace, and Criminal District Attorney. The main courtroom with double doors opens onto the third floor balcony bounded by an iron balustrade similar to the one on the second level. Adjoining rooms to the courtroom include various offices, a jury room, and a law library.

Although alterartions and additions to the Hays County Courthouse have been necessary since 1909 to increase office space for the growing county government, the architectural intergrity of the struture is virtually intact. The original architect, C.H. Page and brothers, returned in 1965 to replace the second floor courtroom with additional offices. Extensive remodeling of the east and west offices were added to house court documents. General maintenance has iincluded repairs tothe roof and flooring. Aluminum paint now pprotects the statue and all the domes of the roof. Additions in 1962 included the installation of the elevator, new restrooms, and an air conditioning system. Original furnishings, such as large oak tables, and oak chairs and desks are still in use throughout the Courhouse. Future plans include partial restoration of the interior and repair of the plaster work.

Constructed to replace the limestone courthouse destoyed in 1908, the present Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos, Texas, has been the focus of governmental and law enforcement activities throughout the county for three quarters of a century. One of the most significant extant examples of monumental Classical Revival architecture in the state, the Hays County Courthouse, although remodlled, still retains most of its original fine workmanship and mant handsome details. The manner in which the mass of the domed courthouse dominates the surrounding town and countryside is impressive, and clearly reflects the impact this governmental center had on the daily activities of the daily activities of the early community. the early history of the courthouse is bound to the increased prosperity and population in the county at the end of the 19th century, a result of the International-Great Northern Railroad line.

Hays county, which was created on May 1, 1848 by a bill to the Legislature by General Edward Burleson, was named for John Coffee Hays, a prominent Texas Ranger, pioneer and politician. The area which now occupies Hays County was known to Spanish explorers and lay at the edge of one of the main travel routes from San Antonio to East Texas. While small Spanish settlements were abandoned in the County in 1812, early Anglo-American settlers were granted land by the governments of Coahuila and Texas as early as 1831. Some of the original settlers, who received Mexican land grants in 1835 were members of John Coffee Hays' Texas Rangers.

Hays came to Texas from Mississippi in 1837 and settled in San Antonio. He was commissioned by the Republic of Texas to conduct surveys on the frontier. A reputable Indian fighter, he became captain of a Texas Ranger Company in 1840, and also served in the War with Mexico. Hays later became a prominent politician and in 1848 he served on a commission to settle a territorial dispute between Texas and the U.S. over New Mexico territory. With the onset of the Gold Rush, Hays moved to California where he served as sheriff of San Fransico County and was appointed surveyor general of California by President Franklin Pierce.

The site for the present Courthouse and its three predecesors was donate to the county in 1851 by General Edward Burleson, Dr. Eli T. Merriman, and William Lindsey. They had purchased 340 acres of the Juan Veramendi Grant and laid out the town of San Marcos, specifiying public use for this block. The county borders have been modified four times since 1848, but the county seat and courthouse has remained in San Marcos. The original 1861 courthouse was a pine structure which burned in 1868. Replacing this structure was a soft stone courthouse built in 1871, and condemned as hazardous by the County Commissioner in 1881. After it was torn down, a new limestone structure designed by architect F.E. Ruffini was completed in 1883, but also destroyed by fire in 1908. Although Hezekiah Williams planned for the next county seat to be located in Hays City, 11 miles to the northwest, he was unsuccesful in attracting new settlers here, and San Marcos remained the county center. The fourth and present Courthouse is currently in good condition, but the iinterior, in particular the second and third floor, is in need of restoration and redecoration.

Street address: Public Square San Marcos , TX USA 78666 County / Borough / Parish: Hays County Year listed: 1980 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Politics/Government, Architecture Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Government Current function: Government Privately owned?: no Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2014 To: 12/31/2014 Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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