McCulloch County Courthouse facts for kids
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McCulloch County Courthouse
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McCulloch County Courthouse in 2010
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 McCulloch County Courthouse
Location in Texas
McCulloch County Courthouse
Location in the United States
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| Location | Public Square Brady, Texas |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architect | Martin & Moodie |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001515 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1977 |
The McCulloch County Courthouse is a cool historic building in Brady, Texas. It's found in McCulloch County, Texas, which is in the state of Texas. This courthouse is really special! It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This means it's an important place in American history. It also became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1967, showing its importance to Texas history.
Contents
History of the Courthouse
This building is the second courthouse for McCulloch County. The first county building was built way back in 1879. The courthouse you see today was finished in 1900.
Building the New Courthouse
A special stone, called a datestone, was placed on September 29, 1899. This was done by the Brady Lodge of the Freemasons. The Freemasons are a very old social group known for their traditions.
The builders were Martin & Moodie from Comanche. They were chosen in 1899 to build the new courthouse. The building is made of sandstone and has three stories. It's built in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque. This style often looks like the work of architect James Riely Gordon.
Cool Features and Changes
The courthouse has a tall clock tower. It has spaces for clocks on all four sides, but no clocks were ever put in! The building got a makeover in 2009. During this update, it got a new red roof.
The area around the courthouse has seen some floods. In 1936 and 1938, Brady Creek (San Saba River) overflowed. This caused flooding in and around the courthouse building.
Heart of Texas Monument
Did you know Brady is close to the center of Texas? In 1963, the Texas Historical Commission said the middle of Texas is about 5 miles northwest of Brady.
The Monument's Design
On the courthouse grounds, there's a special monument. It's called the Heart of Texas marker. It's made of granite and was designed by Earl V. Finlay. A local artist from Brady, Gary Bryson, carved the monument in 1958.
Funding the Monument
This impressive monument stands 7 feet, 6 inches tall. The money to build it came from the Brady Chamber of Commerce. The McCulloch County Commissioners' Court also helped pay for it.
