Architects to examine building

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Architects will start going over the Donley County Courthouse with a fine-tooth comb next week in preparation for writing a master plan for the building.

County Judge Jack Hall reports that the architects will spend the entire week in Clarendon and will meet with the Commissioners’ Court in a called meeting toward the end of the week.

Earlier this year, the commissioners selected Volz and Associates of Austin as the firm to draw up the master plan. Volz has previously led restorations on the Governor’s Mansion and the State Capitol, as well as prepared master plans for courthouses in Blanco, Gonzales, and Caldwell counties.

The Texas Legislature has approved $50 million dollars to be used over the next two years for restoration of county courthouses around the state.

The Donley County Courthouse was built in 1891 and is the oldest surviving courthouse in the Texas Panhandle. Its age and the fact that it is still in use today gives it a high ranking on the state’s list of courthouses needing preservation.