Kimble County Courthouses, Junction TX history, photos. (original) (raw)
The 1929 Kimble County courthouse in Junction
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, September 2004
The Present Kimble County Courthouse
Date: 1929
Architect: Henry Phelps
Style: Moderne
Material: Brick
The county was named after Alamo defender Geo. C. Kimble. Originally the County Seat was the short-lived (and often flooded) town of Kimbleville.
The current Kimble County Courthouse was built in 1929. There were two others, one in 1878 and another in 1885. The first one burned, necessitating the second. The second was burned in 1888, but was repaired.
Historical Marker: 501 Main St., Junction, Texas
Kimble County Courthouse
The third courthouse to serve Kimble County, this structure was designed by San Antonio architect Henry Truman Phelps (1871-1944). Between 1904 and the early 1930s, Phelps designed courthouses in more than ten Texas counties. While he based the Kimble County courthouse on Classical plans, its features are expressive of a new era in architectural design. By the late 1920s Phelps' designs had evolved to reflect the influences of the Art Moderne style. This is evidenced by the building's geometric ornament, cast stone pilasters and stepped parapet and square pattern belt course.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000
Kimble County Courthouse as it appeared in 1939
Photo courtesy TXDoT
Kimble County Texas 1936 centennial marker on the courthouse lawn
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
An earlier view of the Kimble County Courthouse
Postcard courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
The 1878 Kimble County courthouse
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The 1885 Kimble County courthouse
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Cornerstone Fragment from 1885 Courthouse TE photo |
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The cornerstone of the 1885 courthouse sits not far from the Chamber of Commerce's office and shows that it was the design of English Architect Alfred Giles. Giles designed courthouses in Marfa, Falfurrias, Goliad and Floresville. His 1882 Courthouse in Fredericksburg is now the Gillespie County Library. En route to Fredericksburg, he had the misfortune of being robbed while a passenger in a stagecoach. Giles also designed the Webb County Courthouse in Laredo and many buildings in Mexico.
Photographer's Note:
"According to the THC Atlas at http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/shell-county.htm, the 1878 Kimble County courthouse was a two-story frame building. It burned on April 22, 1884.
The 1885 Kimble County courthouse was a two-story stone building with a square floor plan. It was designed by Alfred Giles and the contractor was J.M. Piper." -