Published: October 27, 2009 04:32 pm      

John Watson: Courthouse resurrected from the ashes

After Texas became a part of the Union in 1846, the U.S. Calvary started establishing military forts along the Western frontier of Texas to protect the settlers from the Indians.

Fort Graham was one of the earlier forts established and was located on the east side of the Brazos River about 14 miles west of the present site of Hillsboro.

By 1852 there were enough people in the area that talk started about creating another county out of this part of Navarro County.

On Feb. 7, 1853, a special session of the Texas Legislature was called and a bill to divide Navarro County was signed into law.

Thus Hill County was created, named for Dr. George Washington Hill, who had served as secretary of war for President Sam Houston and had served in the state legislature from Navarro County in 1851.

The county seat was located on land donated by T. Steiner because it was located in about the geographical center of the county.

Hillsboro, the county seat, was also named Hill.

The town was originally named Hillsborough, but the name was changed to Hillsboro in 1854 when the post office declared names ending in “borough” should be changed to “boro.”

Hillsboro and Hill County were both incorporated in 1853.

The Hill County Courthouse was housed in three different buildings before the present building was erected in 1890, the first building being a log courthouse.

This courthouse is the third and probably the grandest of three similar courthouses designed by Waco architect W. C. Dodson in the last half of the 1880s.

W. C. Dodson also designed courthouses of the same vintage for Hood and Parker counties.

The courthouse in Hood County was actually constructed at about the same time as the Hill County Courthouse, with both buildings being completed in 1890.

The Hill County Courthouse is a three-story limestone structure of second empire style, constructed with Bell County limestone at a cost of $83,000.

There are two-story high Corinthian columns at each entrance, a mansard roof treatment with a wood-framed, three-tier, 70 foot high clock tower covered with ornate tin work.

Artist Buck Schiwetz said this about the courthouse:

“The lengthy columns at each of the four entrances to the courthouse probably are primarily responsible for giving this courthouse its look of loftiness, but a sparing use of ornamentation adds to the effect. Immaculate in appearance the building is devoid of minarets, cupolas, chimneys and intricate roofing. Eight dormer windows — two on each corner — contribute to rather than disturb the design.”

On the night of Jan. 1, 1993, the courthouse caught fire, and firefighters from more than 15 companies could not save it.

The grand clock tower, the roof and the third floor collapsed as onlookers cried.

An important part of Hill County history went up in smoke.

The county clerk’s office on the first floor has a walk-in vault which protected county documents during the 1993 fire.

There is also a vault room for the security of documents in the district clerk’s office on the second floor.

The 1993 fire was devastating, but restoration now makes the Hill County Courthouse one of the architectural treasures of the state.

Restoration was spearheaded by the Dallas architectural firm ArchiTexas; exterior restoration was done by Bryan Construction Company, and interior restoration was done by R. J. King Construction Company.

County efforts at fundraising provided financial support to the project, as did federal rransportation funds granted through the Texas Department of Transportation.

Hill County native Willie Nelson hosted two concerts in the shadow of the courthouse to raise funds for the project.

The funding from these various sources made it possible for this phoenix to rise from the ashes.

A short time after the fire I was in Hillsboro, and there was only a shell of a building left.

With the restoration complete and the clock tower in place, this is the tallest building in Hill County. When approaching Hillsboro on Texas 171 from Cleburne, you can see the courthouse four and a half miles before you reach the city limits.

Just a footnote here. A week before the Hillsboro Courthouse burned, the Johnson County Courthouse Annex burned over the Christmas holidays.

The annex was located in the old Levine’s building at the southeast corner of the intersection of Caddo and Chambers Streets. There is a parking lot at that location now.

At the time some speculated that these two fires might be arson and be connected.

Arson was later ruled out in the case of the Hill County fire. It seems a contractor had been doing some work inside and some wiring shorted out causing the fire.



John Watson is a Cleburne resident who can be reached at texastraveler@sbcglobal.net.