2009 Terry Winner - Lamar County Court House

The Lamar County Courthouse, constructed in 1917 from a design by Sanquinet & Staats and Barry & Smith both of Fort Worth , is a beautiful Texas granite Classical Revival courthouse with Romanesque influences. It remains at the heart of county government and as a defining landmark to downtown Paris .

Today, the courthouse serves the seat of county government. This role reinforces the iconographic influence of the building as a source of pride and unity to the community and as an anchor to surrounding businesses. The courthouse, along with the Gibraltar Hotel, south of the downtown square, and the recently renovated Old Paris Post Office promote preservation and rehabilitation in the community, which has spread into the downtown square.

The 1917 Lamar County Courthouse was built as a result of a massive fire that destroyed much of downtown and the 1894 Romanesque courthouse in 1916. The only structure that remained standing after the fire was the north section of the annex, which was preserved and reincorporated into the 1917 courthouse. In addition to the north section of the annex, all of the granite stone was reused to build the new courthouse, constructed by J.C. Buchanan & J.N. Gilder, of Fort Worth . The 1917 cornerstone was placed at the east entrance of the new courthouse while the 1895 cornerstone was saved and placed at the south entrance as a rememberance of the courthouse that burned. It is a wonderful blend of old and new and still remains one of the most impressive and dominant buildings in Paris, Texas.

Aluminum windows are installed in the courthouse in the 1970s. These windows were incompatible in many respects and as a result, wood windows were reconstructed based on both salvaged original windows located on private property and historic details. Principally, the aluminum windows differed in material, configuration, and operation. The original windows were constructed of Old-Growth Cypress rather than aluminum, and were butterfly casements with fixed transoms above as opposed to the single hung. Though it was deemed infeasible to salvage and restore the collection of original windows, they provided much needed clues regarding the original window detailing.

ARCHITEXAS prepared a master plan for the THCPP to outline the history of the building, document existing conditions, create a prioritized list of tasks to be completed, and establish a budget for the project. Harrison, Walker, & Harper, LP from Paris , Texas was subsequently hired by the county in April 2002.

The newly restored Lamar County Courthouse serves as a symbol of pride for citizens of Lamar County . The building stands as an example and testament of the highly successful Texas Courthouse Preservation Program.

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