Gonzales County Courthouse, Texas

see historic Gonzales County Jail

County Seat – Gonzales

Built – 1894

Style – Romanesque Revival

Architect – J Riely Gordon

Pictures taken –

Impressions:  We visited Gonzales on a weekend drive out of San Antonio.  Gonzales is one of those early Texas historical sites – where the expression ‘come and take it’ came from.  I hope that’s right – I’m not from Texas, so I missed out on Texas history.  Anyhow, the courthouse – quite a beauty.  I think it is in the Richardsonian style.  As I learn more about architecture, I run across that name frequently.  Evidently he was an architect in Pittsburg who heavily influenced the styles in the late 1800’s.  J. Riely Gordon was a student of that school.  He designed quite a few courthouses, and on the whole, they had that corner entrance to them.  Nearby Comal County courthouse is similar, and the county courthouse in Lee County is almost identical. The style gives you lots to oh and ahh over.  The problem with our visit – we came on the weekend, so we weren’t able to get inside.  The old county jailhouse is on the courthouse grounds and is open as a county museum.

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