Jefferson County Courthouse (Texas) facts for kids
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Jefferson County Courthouse
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Jefferson County Courthouse
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 Jefferson County Courthouse
Location in Texas
Jefferson County Courthouse
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1149 Pearl St. , Beaumont, Texas |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Fred C. Stone, Augustin Babin |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004509 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 17, 1982 |
The Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont, Texas is a very tall building. It's one of the tallest courthouses in Texas! It's also a great example of Art Deco style, which was popular in the 1920s and 30s.
This courthouse was built in 1931. It's actually the fourth courthouse Jefferson County has had. Fred Stone and Augustin Babin designed this impressive building. It stands thirteen stories high. Later, in 1981, another part called an annex was added next to it.
A Look at the Courthouse History
Jefferson County has had four different courthouses over the years. The very first building was a simple wooden structure. It was mainly used as the county jail.
The second courthouse was built in 1854. It was a basic two-story square building. Then, in 1893, a third courthouse was built. This one was a three-story red brick building. E.T. Heiner designed it.
By the late 1920s, Beaumont had grown a lot. The old courthouse was not big enough anymore. So, by early 1931, the current brick building was finished. Fred C. Stone and A. Babin were the architects. A sculptor named Matchett Herring Coe created the detailed carvings on the building.
The courthouse still looks much like it did when it was new. Its beautiful marble inside is still there. In 1981, an annex was added to the west side. This gave the courthouse more space. The annex connects to the main building on the first two floors and in the basement. Today, you can only enter the courthouse through the annex. This is because of new security updates.
The top floors of the courthouse, from the eighth to the thirteenth, used to be the county jail. You can still tell by the barred windows! Now, these floors are used for storage.
Restoring the Courthouse's Beauty
A big project is happening to restore the courthouse. It costs about $22 million. The first part of this work finished in May 2009. The old copper roof from the 1940s was replaced. A new colorful tile roof was put on, which looks like the original one.
The second part of the restoration started in August 2010. This phase will clean and fix the granite and windows. This work will be done on floors five through thirteen.
Images for kids
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The main entrance.
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The front entryway.
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Art Deco detail near the entryway.
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Detail on the rear of the courthouse.
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Carving detail.
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Main Lobby of Courthouse
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Map of Jefferson County.
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317th District Courtroom.
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County Court at Law No. 1
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Light fixture.
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Courtroom heater grill.
