Dallas in Dallas County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Dallas County Criminal Courts Building
Photographed by Kayla Harper, March 26, 2023
1. Dallas County Criminal Courts Building Marker
Inscription.
Dallas County Criminal Courts Building. . This site was purchased by Dallas County in 1913 for a new jail and courts building. Designed by local architect H. A. Overbeck (1861-1942), the steel-framed building, finished in 1915 at a cost of $585,982, is clad with granite, terra cotta, and brick. Exhibiting Renaissance Revival styling, the upper six floors housed the jail. Designed for 200 prisoners, two large district courtrooms on the second floor suspended jury trials during summer months until air conditioning was installed in 1951. In 1964 Jack Ruby (1911-1967) was tried in the east courtroom for killing assassination suspect Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963).
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1986
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This site was purchased by Dallas County in 1913 for a new jail and courts building. Designed by local architect H. A. Overbeck (1861-1942), the steel-framed building, finished in 1915 at a cost of $585,982, is clad with granite, terra cotta, and brick. Exhibiting Renaissance Revival styling, the upper six floors housed the jail. Designed for 200 prisoners, two large district courtrooms on the second floor suspended jury trials during summer months until air conditioning was installed in 1951. In 1964 Jack Ruby (1911-1967) was tried in the east courtroom for killing assassination suspect Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963).
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1986
Erected 1986 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 6667.)
Location. 32° 46.741′ N, 96° 48.455′ W. Marker is in Dallas, Texas, in Dallas County. It is at the intersection of Main Street and South Houston Street, on the left when traveling east on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 509 Main Street, Dallas TX 75202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region. 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
Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,120 times since then and 125 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 4, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
