County seat – Archer City
Built – 1892, redesigned – 1926
Style – Romanesque Revival
Arcitect – 1892 – A N Dawson, 1926 – Elmer Withers
Photos taken – 1/20/16
see – Archer City
see – Historic Archer County Jail
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Well, an interesting courthouse with an interesting history. It was built in 1892, but in 1928, the county elected to have it rebuilt – hiring the famed architect – Elmer Withers. The central tower was removed, a third floor added and the roof reworked. The result is substantially different than the original. However, it does retain the massive Romanesque look and feel of the original. There are 3 massive stone arches over the front and rear entrances, and 2 of the same over the side entrances.
When the courthouse was approved for the state’s courthouse restoration, it was decided to restore to the 1926 plans. The interior was well done and overall, it’s a pleasant rendition. But it does seem to lack something when looking at it. Maybe because it is so massive – it needed that tower. If interested in more about the restoration – here is a link to the THC page – http://www.thc.state.tx.us/preserve/projects-and-programs/texas-historic-courthouse-preservation/restored-courthouses/archer