In 2011 Harris County celebrated the end of a multi-year project restoring their historic 1910 Courthouse to its original glory.  This exhibit will discuss the reasons for the restoration and show what had to be done to return it to its 1910 condition.

When the Commissioners' Court accepted the newly built courthouse in August 1910,  the fifth or top floor was unfinished.  There was space for a jury dormitory, male, female, and colored witness rooms, male and female waiting rooms, space for elected officials (although the Commissioners did not have offices), including a large area for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and beautiful courtrooms.   It was estimated it would take decades to fill.

By 1915, the 5th floor was being built out for the Law Library, and by 1920 the number of employees listed in the courthouse had increased by over 50%.  All those lounges and dormitories were long gone.

The courthouse became very crowded. The Probation Department and the Library both moved out of the courthouse by the end of the 1930s.

During the Historic Records Survey of county courthouses in 1939, it was reported that over 90 boxes of records were stored in the attic under the dome.  These included correspondence and reports to the Commissioners. The Commissioners were discussing replacing the 1910 building with a newer, larger building. Alfred Finn, who designed the San Jacinto Monument, presented a rendering to the court in 1939.  However, World War II brought to a halt all discussions of a new courthouse.  The stress continued on the available space.

After the war, money and material became available.  A bond issue was passed, although there were no specific plans on what to do.

Main reasons for remodeling the 1910 Courthouse:

1.There was a need to keep the original building.  When a search was done for the original deed to Courthouse Square, it was discovered it didn’t exist.  Worried that the Allen brothers' heirs would claim ownership of the land, the commissioners decided to drop the whole issue and keep the 1910 courthouse.

2.Overcrowding was severe.  For example, the District Clerk’s office had enough space for his desk and chair and an additional chair for his secretary to take dictation.  That was all.

3.The courthouse desperately needed modernization.  It was not air-conditioned, and there was only one bathroom for the entire building.

After the criminal courthouse was built across San Jacinto Street from the 1910 Courthouse, renovations began.

The renovations would completely change the interior, the exterior access, and replace all exterior doors and windows with the possible exception of the dome area.  Air conditioning is added.  Floors are extended to fill the space which once allowed visual access to the dome and an additional floor added.  Work began in 1954 and was completed in 1955.

Harris County Courthouse, 2004

The exterior of the Courthouse

During the renovation in the 1950s, the large wooden windows were replaced with smaller metal windows. Notice the window in the top left-hand corner.  The restoration rebuilt the windows.  The wood has a vinyl covering to add in maintenance.

One of the more difficult aspects was repairing and restoring the dome.  The “chess pawn” had been removed from the top of the dome sometime before 1930.  In early 1994, a replica was crafted but could not be placed due to structural instability.  For 15 years, it gained a patina in the back of the county buildings on Lockwood.  The following photographs illustrate the repair of the dome and placement of the pinnacle.

Repair of the dome and placement of the pinnacle.

Repair of the dome and placement of the pinnacle.

Repair of the dome and placement of the pinnacle.

Repair of the dome and placement of the pinnacle.

Repair of the dome and placement of the pinnacle.

San Jacinto side of the building.  The stairs leading to the original entrance on the first (second) floor were removed and polished granite-faced the new entrances.  The photo shows the entrance after the granite was removed.

Framework to rebuild the stairs.

Stairs rebuilt to San Jacinto entrance.

Interior.

Opening up the 6th floor (5th floor) to the original structure. This was the first home of the Harris County Public Library until 1939.

2nd floor – opening up the space.

The 6th floor.  Notice the arched doorways and the brick walls.  The pieces of marble were some of the few pieces left from the 1950s and were saved to reuse during the restoration.

The stairways were walled off in the 1950s so only county employees and attorneys running between courts used them.  It saved them from excessive wear.  The marble is being replaced.

The main staircase on the 2nd (1st) floor.  It was not demolished in 1952 but the marble needed cleaning and in some areas replaced.

From the 3rd floor.

The top of the rotunda.  Originally there was a skylight here but it was removed and the area floored.  The decorative moulding shows the damage done during the 1950s.  This area was covered by a false ceiling.

The dome is opened up. 

Replacing the corner molding.  It was designed and manufactured in Lubbock, Texas, then shipped to Houston to be installed.

The skylight being installed.  There were no photographs or plans for the skylight.  When people who worked in the courthouse prior to 1952 were asked about skylight, they couldn’t remember anything.  So, this was designed using the colors from the uncovered floor tiles and stained glass designs used during the early 20th century.

Original tile floor uncovered on the 2nd floor.

5th floor tilework.

Each floor had a different border and color scheme.  The floors were trenched during the renovation for plumbing and electrical conduits.  The white tiles were several colors and difficult to match.  Each tile was set separately.

Column molding on the 5th floor (4th floor).  This is one of the few found intact with the original color still on it.

Finishing the molding was a 5 step process.  It was stained to look like carved wood.

2nd floor – molding and marble.

5th floor corner.

Installing new molding.  The cracks would be filled with plaster and carved.

New molding stained.

Only three photographs exist of the main courtroom.  The view is from the judge’s bench.

During the 1950s the balcony in the courtroom was removed and a floor added dividing the courtroom horizontally.  To recreate the balcony, the contractors used clues found on the walls.

One of the original benches was found when the 1910 courthouse was cleared for restoration.  It was shipped to Canada where replicas were made.

Replica of the lamps on the judge’s benches.

The attorney ready-room overlooked the smaller courtroom.  All the woodwork is new.

New woodwork for doors and transoms.  Notice the thickness of the interior brick walls.

The Harris County 1910 Court House restored.