James Riely Gordon

James Riely Gordon
Arizona State Capitol Building Designed by James Riely Gordon
Born	August 2, 1863(1863-08-02) Winchester, Virginia
Died	March 16, 1937(1937-03-16) (aged 73) Pelham, New York
Cause of death	Stroke
Occupation	Architect
Known for	Historic courthouses
Religion	Episcopalian
Spouse	Mary Lamar Sprigg
Children	One daughter

James Riely Gordon (August 2, 1863 – March 16, 1937) 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. Among his other notable buildings were the Arizona State Capitol at Phoenix. Gordon designed 72 courthouses during his career. In Maryland, he designed the Garrett County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[1]

Contents 1 Texas 1.1 Bexar County 2 Personal 3 Gallery 4 References 5 External links

Texas

Gordon designed the 1889 Aransas County Courthouse in Rockport in the architectural styles of Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival. This courthouse was erected at a cost of $19,494, but razed in 1956 and replaced by the county's current courthouse.^[2] In 1894, Gordon was hired to design a courthouse for Brazoria County in its original county seat of Brazoria. The Richardson Romanesque style structure was superseded by what is referred to as the Old Brazoria County Courthouse in 1897,^[3] when the county seat was moved to Angleton. The courthouse designed by Gordon was demolished in 1930.^[4][5]

The 1899 Romanesque Revival style Comal County Courthouse designed by Gordon for New Braunfels was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1993.^[6][7] Another Richardson Romanesque design by Gordon is in Waxahachie where the 1897 courthouse appears on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the larger Ellis County Courthouse Historic District.^[8] The courthouse itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969.^[9] In 1891, county commissioners awarded Gordon a contract to design the Erath County Courthouse in Stephenville, which was completed in 1892. The Romanesque style courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.^[10] It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1963.^[11]

Gordon designed the 1891 courthouse in La Grange, which appears on the National Register of Historic Place as the 1975-listed Fayette County Courthouse and Jail^[12] and as part of the larger 2001-listed Fayette County Courthouse Square Historic District.^[13] The courthouse by itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 2001.^[14] Gonzales is the location of Gordon's Romanesque Revival Gonzales County Courthouse, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.^[15][16] Old Harrison County Courthouse in Marshall was designed by Gordon in the Beaux-Arts and Renaissance Revival styles, and erected in 1900 of marble, granite and stone.^[17] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.^[18] The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965.^[19] Hopkins County Courthouse in Sulphur Springs is the only structure in Hopkins County on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in 1977.^[20] The 1895 structure was designed by Gordon in the Romanesque Revival style at a cost of $75,000.00. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975.^[21]

Gordon's Lee County Courthouse in Giddings was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[22] His Romanesque Revival style building was constructed of red brick in 1899, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1968.^[23] The Beaux Arts Classicism style McClennan County Courthouse in Waco was completed in 1902 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.^[24] The 1896 Van Zandt County Courthouse Gordon designed in Canton was one more of his Romanesque style buildings, and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1986.^[25] Gordon designed the Old Victoria County Courthouse located in Victoria, Texas in 1892. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, ^[26] and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1961.^[27] County commissioners awarded a design contract in 1895 to Gordon for the Wise County Courthouse located in Decatur. Construction was completed in 1897. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976,^[28] and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964.^[29]

Gordon designed the Texas Pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.^[30]

Bexar County

In 1891, Gordon won first prize of $1,000 in a county-wide competition to design the new Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio. Ground breaking began in 1891, and the Romanesque style courthouse was completed in 1896. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.^[31] It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1976.^[32]

Among his other designs in Bexar County is the 1890 Protestant Home for Destitute Children at 802 Kentucky Ave in San Antonio. The building was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1991.^[33] The Stevens Building which Gordon designed at 315 E. Commerce received the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designation in 1984.^[34] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. ^[35] In 1894, Gordon designed the Staacke Brothers Building at 309 E. Commerce for the carriage trade of August Frederick Staacke. The building became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984. ^[36] The Staacke building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.^[37]

Gordon designed the cottage in 1890 for Gordon for August Thiele, Jr., which is listed since 1983 on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Thiele House and Thiele Cottage.^[38] The cottage itself was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984.^[39] The Queen Anne style Thomas H. Franklin House was designed by Gordon and built in 1891 for a local attorney. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.^[40]

Gordon's designs are also represented in the residential Monte Vista Residential Historic District, featured on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998.^[41]

Personal

In 1889, Gordon married Mary Lamar Sprigg. The couple had one daughter.^[42]

In 1904, Gordon moved to New York. He formed a partnership with architects Evarts Tracy and Egerton Swartwout.^[43] In 1910, in the Gramercy Park area of New York, he designed the apartment house Thirty-six Gramercy Park East.^[44]

Gordon served 13 terms as the president of the New York Society of Architects.

He died of a stroke on March 16, 1937.^[42][45]

Gallery

References

External links

• James Riely Gordon from the Handbook of Texas Online

Persondata
Name	Gordon, James Riely
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 2, 1863
Place of birth	Winchester, Virginia
Date of death	March 16, 1937
Place of death	Pelham, New York