South County Office Building
The growth of the petrochemical industry in the southern part of Jefferson County in the early 1930s resulted in the need for extended county government services. State legislation was required in order to enable the county to build a "subcourthouse" in Port Arthur. Introduced in the Legislature by local elected officials, a bill was passed on April 30, 1931, and plans were made to build a new south county office facility to serve this part of the county.
Funded as a project of the Federal Public Works Administration (PWA), construction of the building began on August 10, 1935, and was completed the following year. The first floor housed offices of county commissioners and other officials; the second floor contained court facilities; and the third floor was occupied by a jail.
Still in service as a county facility, the structure is an ornamental example of the art moderne style as typically interpreted by PWA projects in the 1930s. Prominent features include stylized classical detailing, eagles capping the pilasters at the entry, floral banding, and allegorical medallions. A one-story addition was built in the 1970s.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1989
Erected 1989 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 10565.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 29° 52.225′ N, 93° 55.945′ W. Marker is in Port Arthur, Texas, in Jefferson County. It is on Lakeshore Drive south of Waco Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 525 Lakeshore Drive, Port Arthur TX 77640, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Texas’ Golden Triangle. It is also in the American South, on the Gulf Coast, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Remembering Ancestors (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Port Arthur-Beaumont Interurban Railway (about 600 feet away); Francis John (Frank) Trost (approx. Ό mile away); The Kansas City Southern Railway in Port Arthur (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lakeshore/Lions Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); Arthur Edward Stilwell (approx. 0.6 miles away); Gates Memorial Library (approx. 0.7 miles away); Port Arthur College (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Arthur.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2020, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 278 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 25, 2020, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
