Cooke County Courthouse

The Cooke County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Gainesville, Texas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

Cooke County Courthouse
Cooke County Courthouse (2021)
Cooke County Courthouse is located in Texas
Cooke County Courthouse
Cooke County Courthouse is located in the United States
Cooke County Courthouse
Location101 S Dixon St, Gainesville, Texas
Coordinates33°37′25″N 97°08′44″W / 33.62361°N 97.14556°W / 33.62361; -97.14556 (Cooke County Courthouse)
Built1912 (1912)
ArchitectLang & Witchell
Architectural styleÉcole des Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No.91000336[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 22, 1991

History

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The courthouse was designed by Lang & Witchell, and was constructed in 1912.[3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, and designated a Texas Historic Landmark in 1988.[4]

Confederate monument

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Detail of Confederate monument at Cooke County Courthouse.

On the lawn of the courthouse stands a monolith topped by a 1911 statue of a Confederate solider. The inscription at the base of the statue reads, “no nation rose so white and fair none fell so pure of crime” in reference to the Southern cause.[5] In 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the removal of Confederate statues across the United States, Cooke County Commissioners voted to retain the statue outside the courthouse.[6][7] Protesters advocating against the statue were later sentenced to prison time for "obstructing a highway".[8] The protesters petitioned their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, who in 2024 declined to review the case.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ "National Register of Historic Places".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "History of Gainesville, Texas". www.gainesvilletxhousingauthority.com. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  4. ^ "Details - Cooke County Courthouse - Atlas Number 5097001055 - Atlas: Texas Historical Commission". atlas.thc.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  5. ^ Campbell, Steve. "Gainesville's dark past still stirring passions". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  6. ^ Carter, Simone. "Gainesville's County Commissioners Vote to Keep Courthouse Confederate Monument". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  7. ^ Carter, Simone. "A Gainesville Confederate Statue is Gone. Activists Say There's More Work to Be Done". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  8. ^ "ACLU asking U.S. Supreme Court to overturn conviction of Gainesville protestors". Dallas News. 2024-06-30. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  9. ^ Reichmann, Kelsey (July 16, 2024). "Supreme Court wills Confederate monument protesters to jail despite appeal". Courthouse News Service.