James Riely Gordon

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James Riely Gordon (August 2, 1863, Winchester, Virginia – March 16, 1937, Pelham Heights, New York) was an architect of courthouses throughout the United States and the state of Texas in particular. Gordon's specialty was constructing public buildings mainly in the Romanesque Revival style. His most successful plan was that of a Greek cross with a square central stairwell and quarter-circular entrance porches in each corner. He built a dozen courthouses of this type in Texas between 1891 and 1900. Some of them are the Fayette County Courthouse in La Grange and the Comal County Courthouse in New Braunfels. Gordon designed 72 courthouses during his career.

Among his other notable buildings were the Arizona State Capitol at Phoenix and the Texas Pavilion at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In 1904, Gordon moved to New York. He served 13 terms as the president of the New York Society of Architects.

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The current Fayette County Courthouse was finished in 1891. The Romanesque Revival style building uses four types an native Texas stone to detail the exterior.	The 3.5 story Romanesque Revival style Comal County Courthouse was built in 1898.	The Bexar County Courthouse located in San Antonio, Texas, United States, designed in Romanesque Revival style, was built in 1892.	The Gonzales County Courthouse. The Second Empire style building was added to National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Lee County Courthouse, built in 1899, is designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture.	The McLennan County courthouse in Waco.	The Wise County Courthouse. The Romanesque Revival style structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.