Harris County 1910 Courthouse: April 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Lions' Heads

Lions' Heads embellishments hanging from entablature on 5th story, or gargoyles as Stjnky / Jim Porter calls them at his Flickr account.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stjnky/2237546108/

85 Years of North Downtown Houston

1910 Courthouse at the Center

1924 and 2009

Telwink's Creative Commons photo at http://www.flickr.com/photos/telwink/3927863064/

Legal District

Telwink's Legal District photo in Creative Commons at http://www.flickr.com/photos/telwink/2692378127/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Courthouse in the fog

A photo by Alpha / Tango / Bravo / Adam Baker under Creative Commons at http://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/6805191079/

A recent photo by Patrick Feller's Flickr account in Creative Commons status at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakrnsm/5554156569/

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Welcome to the blog of the Harris County (Texas) 1910 Courthouse Docents.

Here we'll post particular and general information relating to the art / architecture and historical use of the recently restored and re-modeled old courthouse as well as information on the surrounding area, buildings, and related topics.

Welcome & Bienvenidos

The C o u r t h o u s e
D o c e n t s is a volunteer organization and is pleased to present to you our remarkably restored courthouse - its art, architecture, and historical use.

The location is 301 Fannin, surrounded by Preston, San Jacinto, and Congress.

Contact us for a tour or brochure.

Full tours of the exterior and interior are available during the usual business hours of 8-5, Monday - Friday. Beyond those business hours and days, Exterior only tours are available after 5:00 during suitable times of the year and on weekends.

The Courthouse is in Beaux Arts style, a form of Neoclassicism. Charles E. Barglebaugh was the architect, associated with the Dallas firm of Lang & Witchell which won the contract over several other firms.

The most obvious features are the dome, the complex triangular pediment above the sixth floor, the colossal Corinthian columns, and the grand stairway.

The central portion of the front, the Fannin Street side, projects outward beyond the wings. The projection can be called a risalit or an avant-corps.

The covering is pink Texas granite and buff, light-brown, St. Louis brick. Many ornamentation techniques or motifs are seen on the exterior.

The unseen steel skeleton allows much of the wall space to be windows.

The inside is just fabulous.