Fannin County Courthouse (Texas)

Fannin County Courthouse
Fannin County Courthouse in 2010
General information
Architectural style	1889 Second Empire; 1965 Modern Movement, Art Deco
Town or city	Bonham, Texas
Country	United States
Coordinates	33°34′39″N 96°10′43″W / 33.5776°N 96.1787°W / 33.5776; -96.1787Coordinates: 33°34′39″N 96°10′43″W / 33.5776°N 96.1787°W / 33.5776; -96.1787
Construction started	1888
Completed	1889, lost tower 1929 fire; massive renovation 1969
Design and construction
Architect	1888 Wesley Clark Dodson (1829-1914) of Dodson & Dudley of Waco, TX; 1965, unknown

Aerial view of Fannin County Courthouse

For comparison Hood County Courthouse in 2008

The Fannin County Courthouse is an historic courthouse building located in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. Built in 1888-1889 of rough-cut local limestone from Gober by Scottish-born stonemasons Kane and Cormack, it was designed in the Second Empire style of architecture by Waco-based architect Wesley Clark Dodson (1829–1914) of the firm Dodson and Dudley. As built it was similar in appearance to the Hood County Courthouse Dodson designed shortly after it.^[1] Its central clock tower and elaborate mansard roof were destroyed by fire on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1929, and were replaced by a flat roof.^[2] In 1965 the courthouse was modernized, the remaining roof pediments were removed and the exterior was covered with a smooth surface of what is called Lueders stone or Lueders limestone, so that it now appears to be a Moderne or rather plain Art Deco building.^{[3] [4] [5]}

In 2008 the county received a state historical renovation grant and discussion ensued about whether to restore the building to its earlier grandeur.^[6]

References