The Caldwell County Courthouse is a historic

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

located in

Lockhart, Texas Lockhart is a city and the county seat of Caldwell County, Texas, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 14,379. History The city of Lockhart is named after Byrd Lockhart, an assistant surveyo ...

, United States. The courthouse was built in 1894 to replace the existing courthouse, which was too small for the growing county. The courthouse was designated a

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the U.S. state of Texas. RTHL is a legal designation and the highest honor the sta ...

in 1976 and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

of the Caldwell County Courthouse Historic District on January 3, 1978. The courthouse was built in the

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

architectural style, with the design often attributed to Alfred Giles; however, recent research indicates the building was designed by Henry E.M. Guidon, who eventually became partners with Giles. The courthouse is nearly identical to the courthouse in

Goliad County, Texas Goliad County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population is 7,012. Its county seat is Goliad. The county is named for Father Miguel Hidalgo; "Goliad" is an anagram , minus the silent H. The county ...

, as it was built from the same Guidon plans. The exterior of the three-story courthouse is built with cream-colored

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and red

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

. The central clock tower houses a four-faced

Seth Thomas Clock Company The Seth Thomas Clock Company was founded by Seth Thomas and began producing clocks in 1813. It was incorporated as the "Seth Thomas Clock Company" in 1853. The company manufactured clock movements for the Self Winding Clock Company from 1886 th ...

clock and a 900-pound bell. The

mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The ...

of the courthouse is characteristic of Second Empire design. The exterior has been featured in the films ''

What's Eating Gilbert Grape ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates. It follows 25-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery store cler ...

'' (1993) and ''

Waiting for Guffman ''Waiting for Guffman'' is a 1996 American mockumentary comedy film written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, and directed by Guest. The film's ensemble cast includes Guest, Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, and Parker Posey. The film's ...

'' (1996).

References

External links

Caldwell County Courthouse Clock Tower Detail

County courthouses in Texas Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Second Empire architecture in Texas Buildings and structures in Caldwell County, Texas Clock towers in Texas 1894 establishments in Texas Government buildings completed in 1894 {{Texas-NRHP-stub

See also

References

External links