[Historic Marker Application: Victoria County Courthouse] Page: 3 of 50

                                
The 1892 VICTORIA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

physical history by
DAVID HOFFMAN & CO.
Architects and Consultants
Victoria's First Courthouse - 1849
The original townsite of Victoria was laid out by Don Martin de Leon in 1824 with
designated public squares at the center of town typical to Spanish land grants.' Victoria
County built its first courthouse in 1849 on Courthouse Square, one of the central public
squares that was shared by the city government for many years.2 The small wood frame
and plastered brick building was constructed by building contractor Richard Owens.3 It
was a two story rectangular building with a wood cupola and two story wood porch typical
of the prevailing vernacular Greek Revival style of the period that faced Constitution
Square.4
Legislation Encourages Construction of New Courthouses Statewide
The post-Civil War Texas Legislature, anxious to promote growth and development in the
Lone Star State, passed "An Act Authorizing the County Commissioners' Courts of the
several counties of this State to issue Bonds for the erection of a Court House and to levy a
tax to pay the sums" which was passed at the Regular Session of the Nineteenth
Legislature in 1885.5 This caused a rush to architectural competition around the state as
counties vied for the most imposing symbol of county government. The first step in the
official process was taken by the Victoria County Commissioners' Court under the
guidance of County Judge J.L. Dupree in May of 1891, with a notice requesting bids on
architectural plans and specifications for a new court house to cost not less than $50,000
nor more than $65,000.6 The various architects' submittals were reviewed on Tuesday,
August 11, 1891 and the next day the proposal of Messrs. Gordon & Laub Architects of
San Antonio, Texas was adopted.' A contemporary news account stated that the
commissioners "wavered for some time" between the Gordon & Laub proposal and one
submitted by Mr. Alfred Muller of Galveston; however,' Gordon & Laub were hired to
furnish plans and specifications for the new building and to superintend its construction for
5% of the construction cost. 9
' Shook, Robert W., "Victoria County Courthouse," typescript in Victoria Preservation Inc. files.
2 Ibid.
Ibid.
a Sanborn Fire Insurance Company, Map of Victoria, Texas, 1885.
Victoria County Commissioners' Court Minutes, Vol. 3, p. 572.
6 Ibid., p. 525.
' Ibid., p. 539
8 "The City of Roses, The Plans for the New Courthouse on Exhibition..., Victoria, Texas, August 13"
clipping on file at Victoria Preservation, Inc.
9 Minutes, Vol. 3, p. 539.

I