|
|
Polk
County Courthouse as it appeared in 1939
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Photo courtesy TxDoT |
The Current
Polk County Courthouse
-
Livingston, Texas Date
- 1923
Architect - McLelland and Fink
Style - Texas Renaissance
Material
- Concrete and brick |
THE COURTHOUSES
OF POLK COUNTYby
Terry
Jeanson
Early settler Moses L. Choate founded the
town of Springfield near the Trinity River in the Texas Piney Woods in
the 1830s. When Polk County was organized in 1846, cut from northern Liberty County,
Springfield was chosen as the county seat, not only for its central location,
but because of Choate’s offer of land in exchange for renaming the town Livingston
after his home town in Tennessee. When San Jacinto County was organized in 1870,
the town of Livingston found itself on the southwest
boundary of the county, but it has remained the county seat.
The county’s
first courthouse was a $10.00, one-room log cabin built by Texas Revolutionary
War veteran John English in 1846. It was built on a hill where all the
subsequent courthouses were built. This was only meant to be a temporary courthouse.
The second courthouse was completed in 1847 and was a larger, one-story
log cabin measuring 26’ x 22’ x 20’. It was built by James Andress, a local
civic leader and innkeeper, at a cost of $347.00. Andress moved the first courthouse
down the hill and attached it to his inn where it was used as a kitchen. The Andress
Inn was demolished in 1911, but a Texas historical marker south of the current
courthouse identifies its former location. The county’s third courthouse
was a 40’ x 40’ two-story structure built of brick in 1854, costing just under
$6,000. Thirty years later, the third courthouse was so thoroughly renovated,
receiving a new stone facade, that a new courthouse emerged. The renovated 1854
courthouse became the county’s fourth courthouse in 1884.
It was built of stone and brick and designed by popular Houston
architect Eugene
T. Heiner in his familiar Second Empire style. The renovation cost $17,
500 and the contractor was W. C. Wells. A white fence was built around the courthouse
square at this time to keep roving livestock off the grounds. In 1902, downtown
Livingston was destroyed by fire, reportedly
caused by a disgruntled liquor salesman upset with the county’s ban on the sale
of alcohol. The 1884 courthouse was the only downtown building that survived.
Within ten years, the county had outgrown the 1884 courthouse which led
to the building of an annex. In 1905, a 23’ x 43’ courthouse annex was
built of locally made red brick on the southwest corner of the courthouse square.
It was designed by Houston architect
Lewis Sterling Green. The annex
still stands today as the county’s oldest government building. Green used the
same design for the 1908 Trinity County records building in Groveton
which was later incorporated into the current Trinity
County courthouse designed by the Page Bros. of Austin.
The construction of the county’s fifth and current courthouse began
in 1923. Houston contractor Isaac
Young had cleared the foundation by July and the cornerstone was laid on November
12, 1923. The brick and concrete courthouse was built in the Classical Revival
style (in the case of this courthouse, also referred to as Texas Renaissance)
with Beaux-Arts details such as large entrance columns, arched windows, a cross-axial
floor plan and a flat roof with decorative balustrades. The county hired the Houston
architectural firm of McLelland and Fink to design the building. Born in
Scotland, John McLelland practiced in other areas of the country before settling
in Houston in 1911 where he designed
several public schools. He was the city architect of Houston
from 1919-20 and he died suddenly in 1929. Little is known about his partnership
with Fink. This courthouse was the first courthouse for Polk County to have electricity,
indoor plumbing, a furnace for steam heating, telephones and drinking water from
another source other than from roof run-off. The courthouse was used for political
and social functions and contained a community auditorium, library, post office,
American Legion Hall and a jury dormitory with showers. The building’s total cost
was $178,740 and it was completed in 1924. The first commissioners court was held
on October 6, 1924.
Although still resembling its original exterior configuration,
several changes have been made to this building over the years. When the ceilings
were lowered to add air conditioning ducts in 1957, the top part of the arched
second floor windows were painted white. The frieze displaying the words “Polk
County Court House” was originally buff colored with white letters but was painted
white with black letters in the 1950s. An exterior elevator shaft was added to
the northwest corner in 1968 and more air conditioning units were added in 1970.
A proposed restoration plan includes the return of the building’s original exterior
features, including the removal of the elevator shaft, restoring the lampposts
on the brick pedestals flanking the staircases and restoring the original oak
doors with transoms. On the inside, the original offices would be restored as
would the two-story district courtroom with upper balcony.
Source:
Courthouse
information from the Texas Historical Commission County Atlas at http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/shell-desig.htm,
National Register of Historic Places - Polk County Courthouse and 1905 Courthouse
Annex. Historical information from the Handbook of Texas Online. |
 |
|
"Polk County courthouse
historical marker at the east side entrance" - Terry
Jeanson |
Historical
Marker TextPOLK
COUNTY COURTHOUSECompleted
in 1924, this is the fifth courthouse to serve Polk County. Citing "lack of space
and modern conveniences," the Commissioners Court hired the Houston
architectural firm of McLelland & Fink to design their new building. Contractor
Isaac Young completed demolition of the 1884 courthouse by July 1923, and the
first court meetings were held in this building by the fall of 1924. Designed
to include an auditorium, library, American Legion hall and post office, which
were replaced in later years by administrative and judicial offices, the Polk
County Courthouse features Classical Revival styling with Beaux Arts influences.
It stands as a significant part of Livingston's architectural heritage.
Recorded
Texas Historic Landmark - 2001 |
Polk
County courthouse
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, February 2006 |
"Southeast corner of the
courthouse. The community gazebo was completed in 1999. The cornerstones of the
two previous courthouses are supposed to be displayed at the northeast corner
of the grounds."
- Terry
Jeanson, February 2006 photo |
"Northwest corner of the
courthouse, showing the exterior elevator shaft. Railroad tracks can be seen in
the foreground."
- Terry
Jeanson, February 2006 photo |
"North side entrance to
the courthouse. The brick pedestals flanking the staircase where the flag poles
are now once held gas lampposts."
- Terry
Jeanson, February 2006 photo |
Architect - Houston architect Eugene
T. Heiner
Style - Second Empire style
Material - stone and brick
Contractor - W. C. Wells
Cost - $17, 500
A white fence was built around
the courthouse square to keep roving livestock off the grounds. |
"This picture of the 1884
courthouse is on a memorial to Polk County history displayed on the north side
of the courthouse."
- Terry
Jeanson, 2006 photo |
1884 Polk County courthouse
Photo courtesy THC |
The
1905 annex ('Campbell-Forman Building') to the 1884 Polk County courthouse, on
the grounds of the current courthouse.
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, February 2006 |
| "This annex was
designed by Houston architect Lewis Sterling Green. Mr. Green used the same design
for the Trinity County records building in Groveton
which was later incorporated into the current Trinity
County courthouse." - Terry
Jeanson | | |
