Hopkins County Courthouse (Texas) facts for kids
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Hopkins County Courthouse
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The Hopkins County Courthouse as viewed from Courthouse Square in June 2015
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 Hopkins County Courthouse
Location in Texas
Hopkins County Courthouse
Location in the United States
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| Location | Church and Jefferson Sts., Sulphur Springs, Texas |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | James Riely Gordon |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001453 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1977 |
The Hopkins County Courthouse is a very old and important building in Sulphur Springs, Texas. This city is the main town, or county seat, of Hopkins County.
A famous architect named James Riely Gordon designed it. The courthouse was built between 1894 and 1895. It has a special style called Romanesque Revival. The building is made of red sandstone and pink granite.
The courthouse has some cool and unusual parts. These include a unique double-helix staircase and a tower without a clock. Also, its main doors are on the corners, not the sides.
The building was carefully fixed up in 2001 and 2002. This restoration cost a lot of money, but it helped save the historic building. Today, it is still used as a working courthouse every day. It has also won many awards. It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975. Then, in 1977, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of the Courthouse
After Texas created Hopkins County in 1846, the first county seat was a town called Tarrant. A courthouse was built there in 1853.
Later, in 1868, the U.S. military moved the county seat to Sulphur Springs. At that time, Sulphur Springs was known as Bright Star. In 1882, Hopkins County built its first brick courthouse in Sulphur Springs.
However, in 1894, this brick building burned down. The fire also destroyed the jail and many other buildings in Sulphur Springs. Because of this, a new courthouse was needed right away.
Design and Building
The new courthouse was designed by San Antonio architect James Riely Gordon. It was built from 1894 to 1895. Gordon designed about 18 courthouses in Texas. His buildings can be seen in many Texas cities, like Decatur and Waco.
The Hopkins County Courthouse was built in the Romanesque Revival style. It uses red sandstone and pink granite. Inside, it has a special double-helix staircase made of cast-iron. You can also see marble walls, stone and tile floors, and oak wood.
The building has a tower without a clock. An early leader of the town said, "If you get up when the sun rises and go to bed when it sets, you don't need a clock."
Because of how it sits on Courthouse Square, the main doors are on the northwest and southwest corners. This is a bit unusual, as most buildings have entrances on their sides. These entrances have Roman arches and open porches above them.
A company from Dallas won the job to build the courthouse. The original cost was about $52,410. But the final cost went up to $75,000. This was mainly because extra steel rods were added to make the building safer.
Restoring the Building
The Hopkins County Courthouse was fully restored in 2001 and 2002. Before this big project, it had only been repaired a few times. By the early 2000s, the building was showing its age. The sandstone and windows were damaged. Water was also leaking inside.
Other big problems included rotting window frames and a roof tower that was in danger of falling apart. The electrical wires were old and overloaded. There was no elevator, and the whole building felt like a fire hazard.
The restoration finished in December 2002. It fixed up both the inside and outside of the building. It also updated all the systems. The building was made accessible for everyone, following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The State of Texas paid $3.66 million for the restoration. Hopkins County added $1.3 million. Other money came from private donations. After almost two years of work, the courthouse was officially reopened on December 7, 2002.
How the Courthouse is Used Today
The Hopkins County Courthouse is still a busy place. It is open to the public every day. As of 2005, it housed the offices for judges, juries, and other county officials.
In 2005, the building was also available for special events. People could use it for concerts or even weddings.
Awards and Special Recognition
The Hopkins County Courthouse has received many honors. It was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975. In 1977, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
It also received a special grant in 2000 to help with its restoration. This grant program was started by then-Governor George W. Bush. He even visited the courthouse in 1998 before the program began.
In 2005, the courthouse won the Lucille Terry Historical Preservation Award. In December 2013, County Line Magazine named it the "Best County Courthouse." This was the third time it had won this award.
