Swisher County Courthouse, Tulia, Texas. (original) (raw)
The modernized Swisher County Courthouse today
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, September 2007
The 1909 Swisher County Courthouse
Architect - Elmer George Withers
Style - Texas Renaissance
Material - Red brick and sandstone
Remodeled - 1962
The building standing today is a severe remodeling of the 1909 building. The 1962 remodeling removed the dome and turrets and encased the red brick and sandstone courthouse under a lighter brick veneer.
"The old courthouse was severely damaged in a fire and HAD to be rebuilt. No one here likes the new style, but something had to be done -- it wasn't destroyed arbitrarily." - Joe Weaver, Director Tulia Chamber of Commerce (See Forum)
An early view of the 1909 Swisher County Courthouse
1915 postcard courtesy THC
"A vintage photo of the 1909 Swisher County courthouse"
- Terry Jeanson, September 2007
"A color photo of the 1909 Swisher County courthouse in 1962 at the beginning of the remodeling. The entrance facade on the right side of this picture was already being demolished when this photo was taken. Both of these photos are in a display case inside the current courthouse." - Terry Jeanson, September 2007
The 1909 Swisher County Courthouse as it appeared in 1939
Photo courtesy TXDoT
The 1909 Swisher County Courthouse as it appeared in 1945
Photo courtesy THC
The 1909 Texas Renaissance Courthouse encased in brick in 1962
Photo circa 1965 courtesy THC
"The first Swisher County courthouse, built in 1890. This picture is from a display cabinet in the current courthouse."
- Terry Jeanson, September 2007
Forum: Subject: Swisher County Courthouse
I love your site, but the text on the Tulia courthouse is misleading. The old courthouse was severely damaged in a fire and HAD to be rebuilt. No one here likes the new style, but something had to be done--it wasn't destroyed arbitrarily. I am disappointed that the only comments on the page are negative ones from someone who passed through. - Joe Weaver, Director Tulia Chamber of Commerce, August 12, 2008
Subject: The Tulia Courthouse
Thank you for the beautiful pictures of the Swisher County Courthouse. I lived in Tulia in the 50's while in the 5th and 6th grade and always had a fond remembrance of living there. The beautiful Courthouse in the town square, the drug stores with the cherry lime root beers, the brick streets downtown, the Swisher Creamery, ah yes, those were the days.
In the 80's I was traveling from Dallas back to California and thought I would take a detour and travel through Tulia and see the house I used to live in and even have a root beer in the drug store on the town square. My first stop coming in from Silverton from the North was the town square.
I looked at where the beautiful Courthouse once stood and could only whisper, "Oh my God, what had they done" It was GONE! The one thing of beauty in that dusty part of the world had been removed and in it's place was an ugly building void of character.
I did not stay to see where I used to live nor did I even look for that drug store. I simply turned around and drove out of town not looking back.
It is unimaginable that anybody with the sense to slip their shoes on in the morning could have destroyed that building.
Once again, thanks for the pictures.
- Joe Wilkerson, Riverside Ca., December 23, 2007