Dateline: November 24, 2005

County will seek state marker for courthouse

By Roger  Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Donley County Commissioners’ Court voted in favor of seeking approval for a state historical marker for the 1890 Courthouse during their regular meeting November 14.

County Judge Jack Hall said the court approved spending $850 to purchase the marker, which would be subject to the approval of an application to the Texas Historical Commission.

“We hope to have it in place by July 4 and have some kind of short dedication,” Hall said.

The application would first have to be approved by Donley County Historical Commission Chair Jean Stavenhagen before being forwarded to the state.

The Romanesque Revival style courthouse was opened for county business in 1891 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 along with the old county jail, which has since been razed and replaced by the current jail.

The removal of the third story towers and dormers in the late 1930s prevented the courthouse from previously being eligible for a state marker, but the completion of a $4.2 million restoration in 2003 has changed the building’s eligibility status.

“We couldn’t have even applied for any kind of marker before it was completely restored,” Stavenhagen said. “Patching it up and getting the bats out wasn’t enough. We had to go back as original as possible with all the paint and flooring and everything.”

A location for the proposed marker hasn’t been decided, but an area on the northeast corner of the square is a possibility, Hall said.

In other county business, the court cast the county’s ballots for members of the appraisal board as follows – 900 for Jerry Gage and 411 for Bobbie Campbell.

A contract with Kim Layton for janitorial services in the Courthouse Annex was considered and approved.

The court approved allowing the Girl Scouts to decorate the courthouse square for Christmas.

The court also met in called session on November 21 to canvass the local results of the state constitutional amendment election held November 8.