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Connections | Courthouses

Burlington, Kentucky and Bandera, Texas
The Courthouse Twins and the Mystery Blueprints

Edited by Johnny Stucco
Bandera County Courthouse photos courtesy Terry Jeanson
Boone County Courthouse photos courtesy Matthew E. Becher
In January of 2007 we received a letter from Matthew E. Becher of Boone County Kentucky. We did what we could (which means we introduced him to our intrepid courthouse investigator, Terry Jeanson). Once Terry became involved and visited , there was a flurry of activity. (A historical flurry is to normal flurries as dog years are to human years). In August of 2007 an article was published in the San Antonio newspaper. Written by Zeke MacCormack, the piece made sense of what thin facts were available. It was a bit like piecing together Chinese cookie fortunes that had been shredded.

Now, almost a year to the day since we received Mr. Becher’s email, we present the story to our readers in the same confused way we heard of it but with additional information furnished by Mr. Becher. A Google search for the piece may turn up the newspaper story.

Here we present a portfolio of photographs taken by Mr. Jeanson and Mr. Becher. – J.S.
Boone County Courthouse, Burlington Kentucky
Bandera County Courthouse, Texas
1889 Boone County Courthouse
Burlington, Kentucky
Photo courtesy Boone County Historic Preservation Review Board
1890 Bandera County Courthouse
Bandera, Texas

Photo courtesy TXDoT
January, 2007
Letters from Matt Becher to Editor of Texas Escapes

Dear Texas Escapes,
I recently learned that the 1890 courthouse in Bandera County, Texas, is nearly identical to the one here in Boone County, KY, built in 1889.  Having seen a number of pictures of the Bandera courthouse, it is clear to me that both buildings were designed by the McDonald Brothers of Louisville, Kentucky. 

I am attaching an image of the Boone County Courthouse as it appeared when built.  The original clock tower was replaced in 1898 due to structural problems...  My goal now is to find someone in Bandera who can describe the inside of the building to me.

Best Regards,
Matthew E. Becher, AICP
Rural/Open Space Planner
Boone County Historic Preservation Review Board
Burlington, KY 41005
Boone County Courthouse, Burlington Kentucky
Boone County Courthouse, Kentucky
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, April 2006
Bandera County Courthouse, Texas
Bandera County Courthouse, Texas
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, January 2008
Mr. Troesser,
Thanks for the speedy reply. 

Last week your courthouse expert Terry Jeanson visited the Bandera courthouse and is sending me a good deal of information, including something about the $5 courthouse plans story.  I really appreciate you putting me in touch with Terry. As for the roofs leaking - I'm willing to bet they leak in the same places that this roof leaks: above the four upper corner offices where the roof is flat.  We had the roofing material replaced 3 years ago and it still leaks!

Feature to Feature Comparison of
Kentucky's Boone County Courthouse &
Texas' Bandera County Courthouse

Bandera County Courthouse photos courtesy Terry Jeanson
Boone County Courthouse photos courtesy Matthew E. Becher
First Floor Hallway Facing Rear Entrance
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse 1st Floor Facing Rear Entrance
Boone County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007
Bandera County Courthouse first floor hallway, Bandera Texas
Bandera County Courthouse
"The original tile floor has been covered with carpet and the dropped ceiling hides the original arches." - Terry Jeanson, February 2007
1st Floor Rear Staircases
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse 1st Floor Rear Staircase
Boone County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007
Bandera County Courthouse rear staircase and entrance, Texas
Bandera County Courthouse
Terry Jeanson, February 2007 photo
Rear Windows and Stairs from 2nd Floor Landing
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse Stairs from 2nd Floor Landing
Boone County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007
Bandera County Courthouse rear window and staircase, Texas
Bandera County Courthouse
"The double rear windows were separated in Bandera's courthouse. The railing and balustrades were reconstructed several years ago and are still waiting to be painted." - Terry Jeanson, February 2007 photo
Courtroom
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse Courtroom
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse Courtroom
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007
Bandera County Courthouse courtroom, Texas
Bandera County Courthouse Courtroom
"The 2nd floor district courtroom. During a recent renovation, construction crews were finally able to remove the multiple columns that had been holding up the roof. The dropped ceiling hides the arch and alcove behind the judge's bench." - Terry Jeanson, February 2007
Attic Entrance Behind Pulpit
Kentucky Boone Courthouse Attic Entrance Behind Pulpit
Kentucky Boone Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007
Bandera County Courthouse attic door, Texas
Bandera County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, February 2007
More
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse Upper Attic Facing Front
Kentucky Boone County Courthouse
Upper Attic Facing Front
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007
Bandera County Courthouse front window view, Texas
Bandera County Courthouse
"The front window, which is a different configuration from the Kentucky courthouse. From the room with the attic staircase" - Terry Jeanson, February 2007

Grimes County courthouse, Anderson Texas
Grimes County Courthouse, Anderson, Texas
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, July 2002
The McDonald Bros designed approximately 20 courthouses in the late 19th Century. Most of those were in Kentucky, although in addition to Bandera, they designed two other Texas courthouses: Grimes County (1891) and Ft. Bend County (1887).  Take a look at the Grimes County Courthouse photos you have [in your magazine]. Look familiar - from the roof down?  Looks like they also ended up replacing the original clock tower with something more modest. That appears to be a consistent flaw in the design. The Ft. Bend building was replaced in 1908, but if you can find a photo of the 1887 building, I'll bet my shirt it shares similarities to the others.

Actually, most of the research was not done by me, but is summarized nicely in a 1981 Masters Thesis about the McDonald Brothers prepared by a student at the University of Louisville.  What I have done since is mostly try to confirm which of their 20-odd courthouses still stand.  The Bandera and Grimes County courthouses are not listed in the thesis, but I have seen so many images of McDonald Bros courthouses that I feel like I can spot them from a mile away!

Once you review the attached list, I think you'll see that the McDonald Brothers were also "courthouse hustlers."  (A reference to J. Reily Gordon’s once being called a “courthouse hustler” due to his pattern of reselling barely-changed blueprints from one county to another). They (the Brothers MacDonald) designed at least 20 courthouses in various states ranging in cost from about $18,000 up to $80,000.  The 1883 Simpson County, KY, building served as the prototype for the lion's share of their later designs.  Most of them were cruciform in plan with a central passageway on the first floor and central clock tower atop a hipped roof. So far, I have only found that two courthouses were built with a domed clock tower: Bandera and Boone County.

[Note: 19th Century blueprints were a lot like recipes from a cookbook. If an ingredient wasn’t available, substitutions might do. While the Bandera courthouse was primarily limestone, the Boone County courthouse appeared in brick. In Texas, a single J. Reily Gordon’s design appeared in Comal County (New Braunfels) in stone and in Lee County (Giddings) as a brick courthouse.]
Carrol County Courthouse, Carrollton, KY
Carrol County Courthouse c. 1885 in Kentucky shares similarities with the Boone courthouse.
I am attaching a postcard image of the Courthouse in Carrol County, KY, built c. 1885, which has a steeple-like clock tower.  The building received sensitive additions in 1976, although the interior was completely gutted and rebuilt. 

By all means feel free to publish my email address (mbecher@boonecoutyky.org).  Any information I can gather that might remotely help with the preservation of anything in Boone County is welcome information.

Best Regards,
Matt Becher
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