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| The
Denton Texas town square is quite true to its historic heritage. There's
the 1896
W.C. Dodson designed courthouse. It's arguably one of the grandest
Golden Era courthouses in the state of Texas. The buildings that surround
the courthouse are mostly of the same vintage as the courthouse. The
square has plenty of antique shops and restaurants and all the other
boutique-style shops you may have come to expect on a historic town
square. |
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Denton
County Courthouse and town square
1920s
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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The
courthouse night view
Postcard
courtesy rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
| What
sets this town square apart is how alive it is, and how it's faithful
to the historical traditions of town squares. Unlike so many other
old town squares in Texas, Denton's downtown is a lively place. Because
there are residential neighborhoods close by, and probably also because
the University of North Texas campus is just down the road, real live
locals frequent the square. The courthouse lawn is a gathering place.
Folks come to meet and hang out. Musicians frequently gather and play.
On top of all this, the courthouse is open to the public, not only
during the week -- but on Saturday as well. See, this is the history
of the courthouse square. In old days, it was used as a public gathering
place. People came to town to shop, and to see their neighbors, and
to relax in the shade on the courthouse lawn while children played
and street merchants peddled their wares. |
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Denton
County Courthouse with generous lawn and carriages in foreground
Photo courtesy THC |
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