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First look at the restored 1910 Harris County Courthouse

August 23, 2011
Downtown

Local officials rededicated the 1910 Harris County Courthouse this morning. Work began in 2003, when Commissioners Court authorized a preservation master plan that proposed to restore the building’s exterior and the public spaces inside to their 1910 appearance. The work included re-opening the building’s rotunda, recreating the stained glass dome and ornate plasterwork, and reconstructing two of the original courtrooms. In addition to County funding, the project received a grant from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program administered by Texas Historical Commission.

A few photos of the restored courthouse are below.

Exterior restoration included the reconstruction of monumental staircases on the Fannin and San Jacinto street sides of the courthouse.

Part of the interior restoration involved re-opening the building’s rotunda, which had been floored over in the 1950s. Though no drawings or photos of the original stained glass skylight were found, the design is based on similar pieces of the period. Colors are based on those found in the floor tiles of the courthouse. Replacement Creole marble for the rotunda walls came from the same Georgia quarry that supplied the stone in 1910.

Two of the building’s original courtrooms were restored. In the north courtroom, patterns on the bow-front balcony were recreated using old photographs.

A pair of staircases on the east side of the building retain much of their original ironwork, wooden handrails and marble treads. Casts of the original metalwork were used to create replacements where they were needed.

Elaborate plasterwork throughout the building, including this detail on a hallway pilaster, was restored or recreated. Much of the original ornamentation in the building had been destroyed or hidden during renovations through the years.

The elaborate pargework ceiling in this sixth floor corridor was recreated based on a 4-by-5-foot section uncovered during the early phases of the restoration project.

 Harris County Courthouse (1910, Lang & Witchell). Photos by Jim Parsons.

Restored Harris County Courthouse to be open for public tours

August 17, 2011
Downtown

The public will have its first opportunity to view the comprehensive restoration of the 1910 Harris County Courthouse during free self-guided tours from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 23. Harris County began the complete interior and exterior restoration of the historic courthouse in 2009.

Major remodeling in the 1950s substantially altered the building’s original appearance. The current project included rebuilding the massive granite staircases leading to the Fannin Street and San Jacinto Street entrances, reopening the rotunda and recreating the stained glass dome. The restored building will provide courtrooms and chambers for the judges of the 1st and 14th Texas Courts of Civil Appeals.

Harris County received partial funding for the project from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program administered by Texas Historical Commission (THC). Governor George W. Bush first proposed the project in 1997 and the Texas Legislature allocated funding in 1999. Since then, THC staff members have assisted in the preservation of 82 historic Texas county courthouses, including the Harris County Courthouse.

The 1910 Harris County Courthouse is located on Fannin Street between Preston and Congress. Very limited metered parking is available on surrounding streets. Paid parking is available in nearby garages and surface lots. The courthouse is a short walk from MetroRail’s Preston Station.

Harris County Courthouse (1910, Lang & Witchell). Photo by David Bush.

Downtown’s Wilson Building slated for restoration

May 2, 2011
Downtown

New owners are restoring the former Wilson Stationery & Printing Co. Building (1932) in downtown Houston. A private partnership, 500 Fannin LLC, has hired Ziegler Cooper Architects to design the renovation. Fretz Construction is the general contractor. The Downtown Redevelopment Authority has approved a façade preservation grant for the project.

William Ward Watkin, supervising architect for the construction of the Rice Institute (now Rice University) campus, designed the historic building at the corner of Fannin Street and Prairie Avenue. The Wilson Building’s Art Deco design is a departure from Watkin’s usual classically inspired works.

The Wilson Building has stood vacant for many years, but much of its original detailing has survived. The building is featured in GHPA’s book Houston Deco: Modernistic Architecture of the Texas Coast; more photos of the Wilson Building and its detailing are available on the Houston Deco website.

Photo: Wilson Building, c. 1932 (GHPA file)

 

Commissioners Court delays razing Hogan-Allnoch Building

December 11, 2009
Downtown

Harris County Commissioners Court has voted to delay action on the proposed demolition of the 1923 Hogan-Allnoch Dry Goods Co. Building, 1311-1319 Texas Avenue at Austin. The County has plans to raze the building to create a surface parking lot.

GHPA Executive Director Ramona Davis appeared before Commissioners Court to promote the building’s preservation. GHPA has been in contact with several potential buyers who are interested in redeveloping the building. By selling the building for a privately financed renovation, the County would earn income from the sale, save taxpayers the cost of demolition and return the property to the tax rolls.

County commissioners agreed to have the property reappraised and offered for sale through public auction. For information on the auction, contact Charles Tigner with the Harris County Right of Way Department at (713) 355-7750.

Photo: Hogan-Allnoch Building (photo by David Bush)