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An out-of-court settlement concerning the 1909 Randall County Courthouse has been reached by the Texas Historical Commision (TH C) and the Randall County Commisioners’ Court. The settlement ends a four month pending legal controversy over the historic Canyon structure. The Texas Attorney General’s Office, acting on behalf of the THC, filed suit in a Travis County district court in March against the Randall County Commissioners’ Court after it initiated efforts to remove the building’s historic furnishings in preparation to demolish it. The historic commission based its legal claim on Texas Statutes, which stipulate that a waiting period of six months must be observed before a county courthouse can be altered in a manner which will affect its historical or architectural intergrity. Settlement efforts began in May but were not finalized until June. The settlement stipulates that the County Commissioners’ Court will assume the cost of continued maintenance, repair, and administration of 1909 Randall County Courthouse in its current or improved state of repair to protect its architectural and historical integrity; the Randall County Historical Commission, assisted by the THC, will strive to raise ‘funds for the preservation of ‘the courthouse; and the THC ‘will award the county $1 for every $2 it raises for preservation of the courthouse, up to $50,000. The settlement allows the county commissioners to remove historic furnishings from the 1909 courthouse for use in furnishing a courtroom in the new Randall County Justice Center, recently constructed on Courthouse Square. The Randall County Courthouse has served as the seat of county government since its construction early this century. Though its original clock tower has been classical architectural and ornamental forms that took place at the turn of the century. The interior courtroom contains pedimented cornices and detailed millwork that separates the judges’ bench and the jury box from the spectators’ area. The Randall County Courthouse was declared a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965 The efforts of the Texas Historical Commission to preserve this important structure were greatly aided by the Randall County Historical Commission, which alerted fellow residents to the historic value of the courthouse and the possibility of its demolition. The county commission also encouraged the formation of a Citizens for Good Government Committee to aid in saving the courthouse. As the state agency for historic preservation, the Texas Historical on encourages conservation and maintenance of the state’s cultural resources. The THC administers programs involving archeology, historical markers, museums and county historical commissions, courthouses and has, since 1974, awarded 48 grants totaling more than $1 million for the restoration of historic county courthouses and jails.
Newspaper Details
Clarksville Times
Clarksville, Texas, US
Mon, Jul 02, 1984
Page 10
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 23 Jan 2026
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