James Riely Gordon
Encyclopedia
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 quarter-circular entrance porches in each corner. He built a dozen courthouses of this type in Texas between 1891 and 1900. Among his other notable buildings were the Arizona State Capitol
at Phoenix
. Gordon designed 72 courthouses during his career. In Maryland, he designed the Garrett County Courthouse
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975.
in the architectural styles of Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival. This courthouse was erected at a cost of $19,494, but razed in 1956 and replaced by the county's current courthouse. In 1894, Gordon was hired to design a courthouse for Brazoria County
in its original county seat of Brazoria
. The Richardson Romanesque style structure was superseded by what is referred to as the Old Brazoria County Courthouse in 1897, when the county seat was moved to Angleton
. The courthouse designed by Gordon was demolished in 1930.
The 1899 Romanesque Revival style Comal County Courthouse
designed by Gordon for New Braunfels
was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1993. Another Richardson Romanesque design by Gordon is in Waxahachie
where the 1897 courthouse appears on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the larger Ellis County Courthouse Historic District. The courthouse itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969. In 1891, county commissioners awarded Gordon a contract to design the Erath County Courthouse in Stephenville
, which was completed in 1892. The Romanesque style courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1963.
Gordon designed the 1891 courthouse in La Grange
, which appears on the National Register of Historic Place as the 1975-listed Fayette County Courthouse and Jail and as part of the larger 2001-listed Fayette County Courthouse Square Historic District. The courthouse by itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 2001. Gonzales
is the location of Gordon's Romanesque Revival Gonzales County Courthouse
, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966. Old Harrison County Courthouse
in Marshall
was designed by Gordon in the Beaux-Arts and Renaissance Revival styles, and erected in 1900 of marble, granite and stone. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965. Hopkins County Courthouse in Sulphur Springs
is the only structure in Hopkins County on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in 1977. The 1895 structure was designed by Gordon in the Romanesque Revival style at a cost of $75,000.00. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975.
Gordon's Lee County Courthouse in Giddings
was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. His Romanesque Revival style building was constructed of red brick in 1899, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1968. The Beaux Arts Classicism style McClennan County Courthouse in Waco
was completed in 1902 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The 1896 Van Zandt County Courthouse Gordon designed in Canton
was one more of his Romanesque style buildings, and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1986.
Gordon designed the Old Victoria County Courthouse located in Victoria, Texas
in 1892. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1961. County commissioners awarded a design contract in 1895 to Gordon for the Wise County Courthouse located in Decatur
. Construction was completed in 1897. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964.
Gordon designed the Texas Pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago.
in San Antonio. Ground breaking began in 1891, and the Romanesque
style courthouse was completed in 1896. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in 1976.
Among his other designs in Bexar County is the 1890 Protestant Home for Destitute Children at 802 Kentucky Ave in San Antonio. The building was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1991. The Stevens Building which Gordon designed at 315 E. Commerce received the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designation in 1984. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 1894, Gordon designed the Staacke Brothers Building at 309 E. Commerce for the carriage trade of August Frederick Staacke. The building became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984. The Staacke building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Gordon designed the cottage in 1890 for Gordon for August Thiele, Jr., which is listed since 1983 on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Thiele House and Thiele Cottage. The cottage itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984. The Queen Anne style Thomas H. Franklin House was designed by Gordon and built in 1891 for a local attorney. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Gordon's designs are also represented in the residential Monte Vista Residential Historic District, featured on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998.
In 1904, Gordon moved to New York
. He formed a partnership with architects Evarts Tracy and Egerton Swartwout. In 1910, in the Gramercy Park
area of New York, he designed the apartment house Thirty-six Gramercy Park East.
Gordon served 13 terms as the president of the New York Society of Architects.
He died of a stroke on March 16, 1937.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the state 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...
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 quarter-circular entrance porches in each corner. He built a dozen courthouses of this type in Texas between 1891 and 1900. Among his other notable buildings were the Arizona State Capitol
Arizona State Capitol
The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, formerly housed the Territorial and State Legislatures, as well as various executive offices...
at Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. Gordon designed 72 courthouses during his career. In Maryland, he designed the Garrett County Courthouse
Garrett County Courthouse
The Garrett County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse located at Oakland, Garrett County, Maryland, United States. It is a three story, 1907-1908 neo-classical Renaissance Revival masonry structure in the form of a Latin Cross with a central rotunda and dome...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975.
Texas
Gordon designed the 1889 Aransas County Courthouse in RockportRockport, Texas
Rockport is a city in Aransas County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,385 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Aransas County. The coastal community has approximately 8000 citizens. Large windswept live oaks are a dominating feature of the area and the state's oldest live oak,...
in the architectural styles of Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival. This courthouse was erected at a cost of $19,494, but razed in 1956 and replaced by the county's current courthouse. In 1894, Gordon was hired to design a courthouse for Brazoria County
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
in its original county seat of Brazoria
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria is a city of Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,787.Brazoria was originally founded as a port for Stephen F...
. The Richardson Romanesque style structure was superseded by what is referred to as the Old Brazoria County Courthouse in 1897, when the county seat was moved to Angleton
Angleton, Texas
Angleton is a city in and the county seat of Brazoria County, Texas, United States, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Angleton lies at the intersection of State Highway 288, State Highway 35, and the Union Pacific Railroad. The population was 18,130 at the 2000 census...
. The courthouse designed by Gordon was demolished in 1930.
The 1899 Romanesque Revival style Comal County Courthouse
Comal County Courthouse
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....
designed by Gordon for New Braunfels
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...
was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1993. Another Richardson Romanesque design by Gordon is in Waxahachie
Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southern suburb of Dallas. The population was 21,426 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ellis County....
where the 1897 courthouse appears on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the larger Ellis County Courthouse Historic District. The courthouse itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969. In 1891, county commissioners awarded Gordon a contract to design the Erath County Courthouse in Stephenville
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
, which was completed in 1892. The Romanesque style courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1963.
Gordon designed the 1891 courthouse in La Grange
La Grange, Texas
La Grange is a city in Fayette County, Texas, near the Colorado River. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimated population was 4,645. But a 2010 census estimated that the city had a population of 4,923...
, which appears on the National Register of Historic Place as the 1975-listed Fayette County Courthouse and Jail and as part of the larger 2001-listed Fayette County Courthouse Square Historic District. The courthouse by itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 2001. 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...
is the location of Gordon's Romanesque Revival 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....
, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966. Old Harrison County Courthouse
Old Harrison County Courthouse (Texas)
The Old Harrison County Courthouse is located in the center of Whetstone Square in Marshall, Texas and is one of the most famous and admired buildings in Texas. It is the signature landmark of Marshall and is frequently used to represent East Texas in travel literature.The Old Courthouse is listed...
in Marshall
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
was designed by Gordon in the Beaux-Arts and Renaissance Revival styles, and erected in 1900 of marble, granite and stone. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965. Hopkins County Courthouse in Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs, Texas
Sulphur Springs is a city in Hopkins County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 14,551. It is the county seat of Hopkins County.-Geography:Sulphur Springs is located at ....
is the only structure in Hopkins County on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in 1977. The 1895 structure was designed by Gordon in the Romanesque Revival style at a cost of $75,000.00. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975.
Gordon's Lee County Courthouse in Giddings
Giddings, Texas
Giddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....
was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. His Romanesque Revival style building was constructed of red brick in 1899, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1968. The Beaux Arts Classicism style McClennan County Courthouse in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
was completed in 1902 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The 1896 Van Zandt County Courthouse Gordon designed in Canton
Canton, Texas
Canton is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,142. It is the county seat of Van Zandt County.- History :...
was one more of his Romanesque style buildings, and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1986.
Gordon designed the Old Victoria County Courthouse located in Victoria, Texas
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
in 1892. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1961. County commissioners awarded a design contract in 1895 to Gordon for the Wise County Courthouse located in Decatur
Decatur, Texas
Decatur is a city located in Wise County, Texas, United States. This city was named after Stephen Decatur, Jr. The population was 5,201 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 6,432. It is the county seat of Wise County...
. Construction was completed in 1897. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964.
Gordon designed the Texas Pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago.
Bexar County
In 1891, Gordon won first prize of $1,000 in a county-wide competition to design the new Bexar County CourthouseBexar County Courthouse
The Bexar County Courthouse is an historical building in downtown San Antonio, Texas.The building was designed by architect J. Riely Gordon, and borders Main Plaza, along with such other architectural landmarks as the Cathedral of San Fernando. The style is Romanesque Revival, and the main...
in San Antonio. Ground breaking began in 1891, and the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style courthouse was completed in 1896. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was 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 1976.
Among his other designs in Bexar County is the 1890 Protestant Home for Destitute Children at 802 Kentucky Ave in San Antonio. The building was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1991. The Stevens Building which Gordon designed at 315 E. Commerce received the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designation in 1984. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 1894, Gordon designed the Staacke Brothers Building at 309 E. Commerce for the carriage trade of August Frederick Staacke. The building became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984. The Staacke building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Gordon designed the cottage in 1890 for Gordon for August Thiele, Jr., which is listed since 1983 on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Thiele House and Thiele Cottage. The cottage itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984. The Queen Anne style Thomas H. Franklin House was designed by Gordon and built in 1891 for a local attorney. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Gordon's designs are also represented in the residential Monte Vista Residential Historic District, featured on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998.
Personal
In 1889, Gordon married Mary Lamar Sprigg. The couple had one daughter.In 1904, Gordon moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He formed a partnership with architects Evarts Tracy and Egerton Swartwout. In 1910, in the Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
area of New York, he designed the apartment house Thirty-six Gramercy Park East.
Gordon served 13 terms as the president of the New York Society of Architects.
He died of a stroke on March 16, 1937.