Fannin County Courthouse (Texas)

Building in Texas, United States

Fannin County Courthouse

General information
Architectural style| 1889 Second Empire; 1965 Modern Movement, Art Deco
Town or city| Bonham, Texas
Country| United States
Coordinates| 33°34′39″N 96°10′43″W﻿ / ﻿33.5776°N 96.1787°W﻿ / 33.5776; -96.1787
Construction started| 1888
Completed| 1889, lost tower 1929 fire; massive renovation 1969, restoration complete 2022
Design and construction
Architect(s)| 1888 Wesley Clark Dodson (1829-1914) of Dodson & Dudley of Waco, TX; 1965, unknown
Aerial view of Fannin County Courthouse For comparison Hood County Courthouse in 2008

The Fannin County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. Built in 1888-1889 of rough-cut local limestone from Gober by Scottish-born stonemasons Kane and Cormack, it was designed in the Second Empire style of architecture by Waco-based architect Wesley Clark Dodson (1829–1914) of the firm Dodson and Dudley. As built it was similar in appearance to the Hood County Courthouse Dodson designed shortly after it.[1] Its central clock tower and elaborate mansard roof were destroyed by fire on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1929, and were replaced by a flat roof.[2] In 1965 the courthouse was modernized, the remaining roof pediments were removed and the exterior was covered with a smooth surface of what is called Lueders stone or Lueders limestone, so that it appeared to be a Moderne or rather plain Art Deco building.[3] [4] [5]

In 2008 the county received a state historical renovation grant and discussion ensued about whether to restore the building to its earlier grandeur.[6]

On November 8, 2016, a courthouse restoration bond proposal was passed by Fannin County voters. This $12.5 million bond, in conjunction with a matching $5 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission, will restore the courthouse to its original 1888 design.

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* List of county courthouses in Texas

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Fannin County GenWeb: Picture of pre-1929 courthouse with tower
2. ^ Pictures during and right after 1929 fire and later
3. ^ Texts of all Fannin County historical markers including the one for the courthouse which misspells Lueders
4. ^ Texas Escapes page on Fannin County Courthouse
5. ^ Familytree 101 Fannin County
6. ^ "KXIL TV story". Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-02-28.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Fannin County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons

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