This was our 202nd Courthouse in Texas to visit. That means we are at 79.5% of our goal with 20.5% left to go.

Date: 1916
Architect: Sanguinet, Staats and Gottlieb
Style: Classical Revival
Material: Brick

“Duval County’s first courthouse was built shortly after county organization in the late 1870s. It burned down on August 11, 1914. It was replaced by the current Classical Revival style red brick courthouse which was built in 1916. Marshall R. Sanguinet & Carl G. Staats designed the building with partner R. D. Gottlieb. Based in Fort Worth, Sanguinet & Staats designed buildings all over Texas, with Sanguinet mostly operating the business part of the architectural firm and Staats doing most of the designing. They were well known for their steel-framed skyscrapers, most notably the Alico Building in Waco, TX. In 1938, the Duval County courthouse received a rear addition, designed by the Page Bros. of Austin.

During my most recent visit to the Duval County courthouse, I was saddened to see the continual decay of this historic building which is nearly one hundred years old. I talked with some of the courthouse employees who informed me of habitual water leaks and the deterioration of the building’s roof. The interior hallways are a mish-mash of exposed cables and duct work. With the hard economic times, it doesn’t seem likely that there will be any funding to bring about the kind of repairs that this building needs. It would be a shame to lose this magnificent building.” – Terry Jeanson, July 2010