Htx Then and Now Day 3: Courthouse Building
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When court sessions were first held in Courthouse Square in 1837, it was known as the Eleventh District Court of the Republic of Texas. The first session was held right under the trees, probably much to the defendant's anxiety. The Harris County Civil Courts Building, which occupies the site today, is the fifth courthouse to lay down the law in this downtown locale. The building avoided demolition in 1938 by only a handful of votes. Why isn't a seventy-story office building in its place today? Maybe its neoclassical charm has won the heart of too many Houstonians. A more likely reason is the stipulation assigned by the Allen brothers that Courthouse Square's ownership will revert to their legal heirs should the land be used for anything but a courthouse. submitted by /u/Correct-Split6161 |
