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GLEN
ROSE, TEXAS
Somervell County Seat, North
Central Texas
US 67 and Hwy 144
17 miles S of Granbury
52 miles SW of Fort Worth
Population
6809 (2000)
Text
and photos by Sam Fenstermacher
|
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Glen Rose water tower
before thunderstorm
Photo by James Feagin, Oct. 2002 |
Location
32.2350°N, 97.7555°W
Elevation 627 feet
Somervell County HistoryAround 1860 Charles and Juana Barnard built
a three story stone gristmill along the Paluxy River. The town that eventually
grew around the mill was called Barnard's Mill. In 1871 T.C. Jordan, bought
the mill and surrounding land from Charles Barnard.Mrs. T.C. Jordan called the
area around Barnard's Mill Rose Glen as a reminder of her native Scotland.
Years later the town's people voted to rename the town Glen Rose.
The county of Somervell was formed in 1875 from about 200 square miles of
land perviously part of Hood County. The county name honors Lieutenant-Colonel
Alexander Somervell.
By 1876 the town population grew sufficiently that
T.C. Jordan believed the time was ripe to build a town square. Jordan promised
to build a county courthouse if some of the town's citizens would buy property
around the square. The first courthouse on the square was completed around
1892 and burned down in 1893.
Second courthouse on the square,
the present day structure, was ordered built by the commissioners' court in 1893
and completed late in the same year for a cost of $13,500. This courthouse employed
elements of the Romanesque Revival architectural style. The building also featured
a mansard roof treatment and ornamental iron crestings which are characteristic
of the General Grant style. The courthouse was constructed of locally queried
limestone.
In 1902 a tornado damaged the courthouse and many
other buildings on the town square. The courthouse roof and clock tower were severely
damaged. At that time, the small rural county didn't have the financial resources
to properly repair the roof or replace the clock tower. A modest roof repair was
made by local craftsmen which omitted the clock and some of the ornate details
of the original roof.
In 1986 the Somervell County Commissioners'
Court voted to restore the county courthouse. The work was completed by Ray J.
Miller Construction Company of Meridian under the direction of architects Huckabee
and Donham of Stephenville, Texas. Final cost of restoring the building was $601,111.20.
Glen
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Courthouse
Square
The courthouse square, much like the courthouse building,
is modest in size. The two most notable buildings on the square are the First
National Bank Building and the Campbell Building.
The courthouse square
has been a popular gathering place for Somervell residents since the late 1880's.
Back before cars and grocery stores, farmers would bring stock animals and other
goods to the square to sell. That tradition is still alive and well today. Local
farmers continue to bring fresh fruits, vegetables, and other items to the town
square for sale. They set up on the west side of the square where there are benches
and plenty of shade provided by old pecan trees. Both the farmers tasty offerings
and the conversation are refreshingly unique.
Somervell
County Jail
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First
National Bank Building in Glen Rose
Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher
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| First
National Bank Building
Native limestone structure built in 1896 by A.
P. Humphreys. First served as a saloon. Upstairs hall hosted dances, socials,
and stage shows. Building's second purpose was as First National Bank building,
est. 1902. In 1917 the bank was the scene of a robbery and the shooting of a bandit.
Modern day home of the Somervell County Heritage Center.
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Glen
Rose Nearby Historical Attractions
Barnard's Mill
Early Texas gristmill constructed in 1860 by Charles
Barnard. The original mill was a three story building constructed of stone and
built like a fort to withstand Indian attacks. For years, town social events were
held on the third floor. A cotton gin annex was added in 1895. In the 1940's a
one-story hospital wing was built and a second story added to the existing cotton
gin annex. These building served as a hospital from 1943 to 1971. Today, the three
story mill building and cotton gin annex are the private residence of Richard
H. Moore, Jr. The hospital wing added in the 1940's today houses the Barnard's
Mill Art Museum. |
| | Chalk
Mountain Masonic Lodge
Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher |
| Chalk
Mountain
A ghost town 12 miles west of Glen Rose on Erath County Road
198. |
| | Dinosaur
Tracks
Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher |
More
Glen Rose Attractions
Dinosaur
Valley State Park
113 million year old Dinosaur Tracks in the Paluxy River bed.
The
Promise: Musical
drama of the life of Christ. Evening performances every Friday & Saturday, June
through October. 800-687-2661 www.thepromiseglenrose.com
Fossil
Rim Wildlife Center:
A 9.5 mile scenic wildlife drive to see exotic and endangered animals. 254-897-2960
www.fossilrim.org
Barnard's
Mill Art Museum:
Part of historic Barnard's Mill, the first permanent structure in this area. Collection
features works by Amy Miears Jackson, Robert Summers, Jack Bryant, R. Kleinfelder,
Morris Henry Hobbs, and many others. Open Saturday and Sunday. Admission free.
817-897-2286
Glen
Rose Hotels >
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| | Glen
Rose High School Tiger Stadium sign
Photo courtesy James Feagin, Oct.
2002 |
Copyright
© 2003 by Sam Fenstermacher All rights reserved
Bibliography:
Leach, Dorothy, The Story of The Somervell County Courthouse. Somervell:
Somervell Historical Commission, 1987.
Texas Historical Commission, Texas
Historic Sites Atlas. http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/, 2003. |
People
Did John Wilkes
Booth Live In Texas? by C. F. Eckhardt
Wherever and whenever John
Wilkes Booth, assassin of Abraham Lincoln, died, it’s pretty much a sure bet it
wasn’t in a burning barn in Virginia... |
Glen Rose
City Hall
Photo Courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey
More Nearby Destinations
Stephenville
- 31 miles W on US 67
Granbury
- 17 miles N on Hwy 144
Meridian
- 23 miles S on Hwy 144
Hico
- 12 miles S on US 67, then 14 miles S on Hwy 220
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Glen Rose water tower
Photo Courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey | |
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