The Medallion, Volume 47, Number 7-8, July-August 2010 Page: 4
19 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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IPG RAM FOCUS I
A Tale of Two Courthouses
Rededication Ceremonies Celebrate Alfred Giles
Designs in Different RegionsFew buildings reflect a community as
broadly and accurately as its county
courthouse. The circumstances of the
initial construction tell the real stories
of a community's history, and these
stories represent the genuine character
of these places.
Two Texas communities
recently celebrated the rededication
of their courthouses after substantial
restoration projects with major
funding provided by the Texas
Historical Commission's (THC)
Texas Historic Courthouse
Preservation Program. Though
they are in different regions of the
state, both buildings-Brooks and
Kendall County courthouses-were
designed by Alfred Giles, a noted
San Antonio architect.
According to the Handbook
of Texas Online, Giles was born in
England in 1853 and initially aspired
to enter the ministry before an
architectural firm apprenticeship led
to a change in his career ambitions. In
1873, Giles immigrated to the U.S.
and eventually settled in San Antonio,
which, according to the book Alfred
Giles: An English Architect in Texas and
Mexico, lured him with its European
and cosmopolitan charm.
After learning the skill of working
with locally available building
materials, Giles established his
own firm in 1876. The subsequent
arrival of the railroad expanded
Giles' architectural palette and his
clients' exposure to new styles. In the
following decades, he incorporated
these diverse influences in his
work, including the two recently
rededicated courthouses in distinctly
different regions of Texas.
Brooks County, home to a
portion of South Texas' legendaryKing Ranch, is one of the state's
newest counties. In 1906, the
community of Falfurrias was
considered cattle country with
fewer than 200 residents; by 1920,
however, it boasted a population of
nearly 2,500. Former Texas Ranger
Captain J.A. Brooks called a meeting
of Falfurrias citizens in 1911, where
he secured 63 signatures in support of
establishing a new county.
After Falfurrias was selected as
the county seat in September, a bond
election for a $65,000 courthouse was
held, passing with 344 citizens voting
for it and nine against. Giles, whoalso operated an office in Monterrey,
Mexico, and regularly traversed South
Texas, designed the courthouse of
substantial materials, including high-
quality brick and ornamental terra
cotta and slate roofing.
"Brooks County strategically
invested in its future by constructing
a noble building that reflected its
lofty aspirations," explains Stan
Graves, director of the THC's
Architecture Division. "The
attention to detail truly reflects the
community's commitment to creating
a structure that's equal to any in Texas
and beyond."Above and right: Kendall County Courthouse
(interior photos courtesy JC Stoddard Construction).
Opposite page: Brooks County Courthouse.L rl
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Texas Historical Commission. The Medallion, Volume 47, Number 7-8, July-August 2010, periodical, July 2010; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth309002/m1/4/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Commission.