Groveton in Trinity County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Trinity County Courthouse
Photographed By Steve Gustafson, September 18, 2011
1. Trinity County Courthouse Marker
Inscription.
Trinity County Courthouse. . The Trinity County and Sabine Pass Land and Railway Company laid out the new town of Groveton in 1881, when the I&GN Railroad came through the area. The following year, Trinity County voters chose it as their seat of government. The company constructed a temporary courthouse for the county, and the frame structure, located at what is now Main at First streets,served the county until 1884. That year, the government moved into a brick building at this site. The construction was not solid, though, and by the early 1900s, county commissioners were concerned for the safety of county records. They hired W.A. Norris to build a records vault exactly like the one L.S. Green had designed for Polk County. They paid Green for the use of his plans, and the county moved its records to the building in 1908., In late 1913, the county commissioners hired C.H. Page and Bros. of Austin to design a new courts building that would incorporate the 1908 records vault. Accepted in July the next year, the structure was rectilinear in plan, stretching to connect almost seamlessly to the records vault on the east side of the courthouse square. Classical Revival features include a full-height portico with paired Tuscan columns, as well as brick parapet, denticulation, corbelled window surrounds and stepped wings., Today, the courthouse remains a center of county life. The site of parades, rallies and festivals, the structure is a symbol of justice and a unified citizenry. Within its walls, births, marriages and deaths are recorded, and fates are decided. It remains a link to the promise the future held for early-20th-century residents of Trinity County, and to the efforts and dedication of those who have since worked to preserve the county's heritage. ,
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-2004.
The Trinity County and Sabine Pass Land and Railway Company laid out the new town of Groveton in 1881, when the I&GN Railroad came through the area. The following year, Trinity County voters chose it as their seat of government. The company constructed a temporary courthouse for the county, and the frame structure, located at what is now Main at First streets,served the county until 1884. That year, the government moved into a brick building at this site. The construction was not solid, though, and by the early 1900s, county commissioners were concerned for the safety of county records. They hired W.A. Norris to build a records vault exactly like the one L.S. Green had designed for Polk County. They paid Green for the use of his plans, and the county moved its records to the building in 1908.
In late 1913, the county commissioners hired C.H. Page and Bros. of Austin to design a new courts building that would incorporate the 1908 records vault. Accepted in July the next year, the structure was rectilinear in plan, stretching to connect almost seamlessly to the records vault on the east side of the courthouse square. Classical Revival features include a full-height portico with paired Tuscan columns, as well as brick parapet, denticulation, corbelled window surrounds and stepped wings.
Today, the courthouse remains
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a center of county life. The site of parades, rallies and festivals, the structure is a symbol of justice and a unified citizenry. Within its walls, births, marriages and deaths are recorded, and fates are decided. It remains a link to the promise the future held for early-20th-century residents of Trinity County, and to the efforts and dedication of those who have since worked to preserve the county's heritage.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-2004
Erected 2004 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13075.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.
Location. 31° 3.34′ N, 95° 7.587′ W. Marker is in Groveton, Texas, in Trinity County. Marker is at the intersection of First Street (U.S. 287) and Main Street, on the left when traveling east on First Street. Located in the courthouse square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 162 W First St, Groveton TX 75845, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Groveton (within shouting distance of this marker); Trinity County Seats (within shouting distance of this marker); Steele's Academy (approx. 11 miles away); Site of the Town of Sebastopol
Photographed By Steve Gustafson, September 18, 2011
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2012, by Steve Gustafson of Lufkin, Texas. This page has been viewed 518 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 18, 2012, by Steve Gustafson of Lufkin, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
