Texas courthouses among 11 most endangered US sites

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

AUSTIN — Last month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation added 225 historic Texas courthouses to its 1998 list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” The National Trust concluded that historic Texas courthouses are national treasures threatened by neglect, deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient flinds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.

The Donley County Courthouse is included among Texas’ most historic courthouses.

Governor George W. Bush, citing the need to preserve historic county courthouses, unveiled his Texas Courthouse Preservation Project initiative during the National Trust announcement. As part of this initiative, a newly created Courthouse Preservation Working Group was named. The group, along with the Texas Historical Commission (THC), will be seeking broad statewide input on ways to assist and support communities in restoring and renovating their county courthouses.

Texas has more historic county courthouses than any other state, with 225 that are 50 years old or older. More than 200 still serve as the hub of county government, despite the fact that many of the buildings are in various stages of disrepair. Comprehensive information about historic Texas courthouses, including a detailed listing of all historic courthouses in the state, can be found on the THC’s web site: www.thc.state.tx.us. For more information, contact Stan Graves, Division of Architecture, Texas Historical Commission, (512) 463-6099.