Nine years ago County Progress Magazine launched a series dedicated to the restoration and renovation of our county capitols. Titled “Courthouse Trails,” this series recaps the efforts of counties across theLoneStarState who have taken special measures to restore their capitols to their original splendor and/or launch comprehensive renovation projects to ensure safety and workability, culminating in the proud rededication of their courthouses.

Our coverage to date includes:

• March 2003: Ellis, Grimes, Hopkins, Milam and Shelby counties
• August 2003: Erath, Donley, Lampasas, Llano and Shackelford counties
• February 2004: Atascosa, Gray, Goliad, Parker and Red River counties
• September 2004: Hudspeth, Lee, Presidio, Sutton and Val Verde counties
• February 2005: Dimmit, Jeff Davis and Wheeler counties
• September 2005: Archer, Bexar, Denton and Fayette counties
• v  February 2006: Harrison (exterior completion), Maverick, Rains and Wharton counties
• August 2006: Bee, Lamar, Lavaca, and Nueces counties
• February 2007: Cameron, Cooke (exterior completion), DeWitt and Menard counties
• August 2007: Bosque, Leon and Williamson counties
• February 2008: Johnson County
• August 2008: Dallas County
• August 2009: Harrison County (interior completion)
• February 2010: Kendall and McCulloch counties
• September 2010: Kenedy County
• February 2011: Brooks County
• September 2011: Harris, Mills, San Augustine and Trinity counties
• February 2011: Cooke County (interior completion)

As your courthouse project nears completion, please contact us at Julie@zacpubs.com so we can feature your county is this special section.

CookeCounty

            The Cooke County seat of Gainesville sits at the crossroads of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 82, offering an international connection opening the gateway to Texas.  Gainesville is within minutes of the Dallas/Fort Worth

Metroplex, Alliance Airport, and D/FW International Airport.

Wildflowers and rolling hills dot the landscape in rural Cooke County beckoning naturalists, hunters, and those just trying to escape from the pressures of the 21^st century.  Located along the Red River a few miles from theOklahoma state line, the county welcomes numerous visitors into the state each year through Interstate 35 and Highway 82 which traverse the area, the well-equippedGainesville airport, and the Heartland Flyer which stops at the historic Santa Fe Depot.

The county seat of Gainesvilleoffers not only unique shops and antique stores, but also a special glimpse into the past, chronicled in attractions such as the Cooke County Courthouse, a National Register Property. Kit Chase, staff writer for The Weekly News, provides tours of the historic courthouse upon request. Visitors frequent the site of the Great Hanging, a Civil War event, which is explained in detail at the Morton Museum of Cooke County, one block south of the courthouse.  The county’s railroad history is depicted at theSanta FeDepotMuseum.

For a taste of German culture, visitors take in the quaint communities of Muenster and Lindsay.  Other popular spots include animals at the Frank Buck Zoo, and the outlet mall.

Farming, cattle and horse ranches, and a variety of small industries are the backbone of the local economy.  Also playing large roles are the thrivingNorthCentralTexasCollegeand itsPerformingArtsCenter, theGainesvilleStateSchool, and Weber Aircraft.

Cooke County Courthouse – Gainesville

The Cooke County Courthouse was built in 1911 in a Beaux Arts style as designed by Lang and Witchell.  The temple of justice has undergone both interior and exterior preservation and reconstruction, as designed and constructed by Komatsu Architecture Inc. and J.C. Stoddard Construction, respectively, at a cost of approximately $7 million.

The full exterior restoration of the county capitol, including replacement and repair of all windows and doors, was achieved in 2006. Cooke County marked the completion of the interior restoration in November 2011, along with the celebration of Cooke County’s 100^th birthday. Hundreds turned out for the centennial party and rededication of the county courthouse, often referred to as the “grand old lady.”

The period of 1911 was selected as the target restoration date, as the majority of the original interior and exterior building features survived and are documented in the original drawings by Lang and Witchell dated March 1910.

Some 20 percent of the restoration costs were paid for by the county over a period of eight years, while the remaining 80 percent was covered by a grant from the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.

Interior work included broadening the courthouse’s offices and courtrooms; applying fresh paint; installing new mouldings and fire sprinklers; redesigning the wiring, heating and cooling systems; and restoring the facility’s earlier interior color scheme of green and brown. The only changes to the courthouse were to comply with OSHA, ADA and other safety and security boards.

Please use photo credits from the old issues where appropriate and add the following below for the others e-mailed to you…

Photos by Terry Jeanson, photographer for TexasEscapes.com