The Cass County Courthouse, Texas' oldest courthouse in continual use, placed second in the Gazette's Courthouse Challenge. According to state and local accounts, it is also the sole-surviving antebellum courthouse and was modeled after the Little Virginia courthouse in nearby Marshall, Texas.
Completed in 1861, the courthouse sits at 100 W. Houston Street in Linden, Texas. The Classical Revival courthouse was designed by Judge Charles Ames in 1859 and was constructed of local brick made by J. Thomas Veal and L. W. Lisenbee, who were also the builders, according to 254courthouses.net.
Atlanta Mayor Travis Ransom said the building holds a special place in his heart.
"I feel like I grew up there," he said. "My father practiced law in Cass County when I was a kid and I remember riding to court with him in his old 1966 Rambler. I learned how jury selection works and played in the county clerk's office a lot. Back then, the jail was just around the corner and we'd sometimes have to go over there to see clients he was appointed to defend. It made an impression."
Joe B. Lovelace is an attorney who practiced law in Linden with his father, Joe Lovelace. He serves as president of the Linden Heritage Foundation's Board of Directors and also shared his memories of his time working in the historic structure.
"I was raised in the shadow of the courthouse," he said. "My father was an attorney and I graduated from law school and came back and practiced law with him. I spent a lot of time in the courtroom. That's what brings back memories to me. Every day things go on in people's lives, be it civil or criminal. A lot of that transpired in that courtroom, which has been wonderfully restored back to the time I recall, in the 50s and 60s."
In the mid-to-late 2000s, the county received a $4.35 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission and private donations helped fund the restoration, which cost a total of $5.1 million. The 15 percent in matching funds came from individuals and organizations, according to local residents.
It was restored to its 1934 state "due to dramatic structural alterations to the roof (and) the introduction of pigmented stucco to the exterior," according to Texas Historical Commission records. "The project involved removing a 1980s addition and restoring all 1934 exterior and interior public spaces and replication of original light fixtures and globes, as well as updating mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and improving accessibility to meet ADA."
The dedication ceremony was held in February 2012 with Don Henley and William Hines, both Linden natives and major contributors to the restoration project. Henley is famous for his music career with The Eagles and as a solo artist, while Hines made his wealth in the oil business and and the petrochemical industry.
The original 1861 brick structure, based on a model from the East Coast down through the colonies that became the States, is the central portion of the building, according to information from the Cass County Historical Commission.
The courthouse survived fire, tornadoes and the general ravages of time to stand as an architectural treasure.
In 1908, a tornado took off the top of the building. A picture from that time shows nothing standing around the courthouse-just like toothpicks all around with the building standing. Local historians said the courthouse was known as the safest place in Cass County after that tornado.
In 1933, "a fire destroyed part of the second floor. The damage was repaired immediately; the tin covered cupola was removed and the third floor was added. Sometime after the fire, stucco was applied over the brick and was painted white with deep tan trim. In 1979, a fourth addition of offices and an elevator were constructed on the west side of the courthouse," states 254courthouses.net.
Lovelace remembered the judges who served on the bench and also the time both he and his father spent in the courtroom.
"I have fond memories of the courtroom and following in the footsteps of my father, who reminded me a lot of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Gregory Peck and Atticus Finch," he said. "I compared my father, even in his eulogy, to being Atticus Finch and what you would imagine a small-town lawyer to be like."
While he served in the law practice with his father, Lovelace said they had a lot of business because they had no competition.
"There were no other lawyers," he said. "My father told me 'We're the only lawyers in town, but we aren't going to act like it.' My memories of childhood are rooted in that courtroom."
For more information on the courthouse and the Linden Heritage Foundation, go to lindenheritage.org.