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Connections
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
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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 Bandera,
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. |
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, Kentucky
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, April 2006 |
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
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| First Floor
Hallway Facing Rear Entrance |
Boone
County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007 |
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 |
Boone
County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007 |
| Rear Windows
and Stairs from 2nd Floor Landing |
Boone
County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007 |
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 |
Kentucky
Boone County Courthouse Courtroom
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007 |
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
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007 |
Bandera
County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, February 2007 |
Kentucky
Boone County Courthouse
Upper Attic Facing Front
Photo courtesy Matt Becher, January 2007 |
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 |
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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.] |
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| Carrol
County Courthouse c. 1885 in Kentucky shares similarities with the
Boone courthouse.
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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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