Comal County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Comal County Courthouse is located in New Braunfels
in the U.S. state
of Texas
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Comal County, Texas
in 1976 and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in 1993.
Comal County has had two courthouses. The first was designed by Wilhelm Thielepape
and completed circa 1860, but had deteriorated in condition by the late 1890s. The current Romanesque Revival
style courthouse was designed by James Riely Gordon
and completed in 1898 by contractors Fischer and Lamie. Gordon, along with another San Antonio architect Albert Felix Beckmann, submitted bids to replace the courthouse designed by Thielepape. In addition to reviewing the bids, the county commissioners traveled to Gonzales
to assess the architectural quality of the Gonzales County Courthouse
, a work designed by Gordon and completed in in 1896.
Although the current structure has been somewhat modernized, and the original roof replaced, the basic structure remains the same. At the entrance, the original wood door has been replaced by a modernized glass and aluminum door. The exterior is of native limestone, and the southwest main two-story circular entrance balcony is supported by pink granite columns. The rear entrances have three-story quarter-circular bays. The ironwork on the interior centralized open stairway is the original. Atop the three-story building is a corniced
stone tower.
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Comal County, Texas
National Register of Historic Places listings in Comal County, Texas
List of Registered Historic Places in Comal County, TexasThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Comal County, Texas...
in 1976 and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
in 1993.
Comal County has had two courthouses. The first was designed by Wilhelm Thielepape
Wilhelm Thielepape
Wilhelm Carl August Thielepape , was an architect, engineer, teacher, photographer, and lithographer. He was Mayor of San Antonio, Texas during part of the Reconstruction era, and later an attorney in Chicago, Illinois....
and completed circa 1860, but had deteriorated in condition by the late 1890s. The current Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style courthouse was designed by James Riely Gordon
James Riely Gordon
James Riely Gordon was an architect of courthouses throughout the United States and the state of Texas in particular. Gordon's specialty was constructing public buildings mainly in the Romanesque Revival style. His most successful plan was that of a Greek cross with a square central stairwell and...
and completed in 1898 by contractors Fischer and Lamie. Gordon, along with another San Antonio architect Albert Felix Beckmann, submitted bids to replace the courthouse designed by Thielepape. In addition to reviewing the bids, the county commissioners traveled to Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
to assess the architectural quality of the Gonzales County Courthouse
Gonzales County Courthouse
The Gonzales County Courthouse is located in Gonzales in the U.S. state of Texas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Gonzales County, Texas in 1972. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966....
, a work designed by Gordon and completed in in 1896.
Although the current structure has been somewhat modernized, and the original roof replaced, the basic structure remains the same. At the entrance, the original wood door has been replaced by a modernized glass and aluminum door. The exterior is of native limestone, and the southwest main two-story circular entrance balcony is supported by pink granite columns. The rear entrances have three-story quarter-circular bays. The ironwork on the interior centralized open stairway is the original. Atop the three-story building is a corniced
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
stone tower.