Year Built: 1889
Architect: Eugene T. Heiner
The Jasper County Courthouse is located in Jasper, Texas.
Jasper County was one of the original twenty-three counties created when the Republic of Texas was established in 1836 following the Texas Revolution. Bevil settlement, established by pioneer John Bevil about 1824, became the seat of government and was renamed Jasper in 1835 in honor of American Revolutionary War hero William Jasper. The first county courthouse on this site, a two-room log structure, was destroyed by fire in 1849. It was replaced by a two-story building, completed about 1854. The present courthouse, constructed of locally made red brick, was completed in 1889. One year later a tower with a four-sided clock and bell was added. Additional wings were built onto the east and west sides of the structure in 1931, and the entire courthouse was covered with stucco. An adjacent office building was erected by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1940, and the courthouse clock tower was removed in a 1957 remodeling project. The Courthouse Square, with its official buildings and landscaped grounds, continues to be a focal point of Jasper County activities.
From Historical Marker – 1988
“The Jasper County Courthouse is the product of three separate building campaigns which reflect the enlargement of the original masonry structure to meet increased demands for county office space. The original structure, [designed by Houston architect Eugene T. Heiner] which is Italianate in character, is flanked to the east and west by additions made in 1934, while a further addition was made to the east in 1960. The original structure was stuccoed in 1934, and its roof was simplified.
“The central block, the original structure erected in 1889-90, is a two-story masonry building with a stucco exterior finish. The north and south elevations have not been encumbered by later additions, and are divided into five bays.
“The original courthouse block is capped off with a simple bracketed cornice, and pediments are set above the central bays of both the north and south elevations.
“In 1934, the courthouse was expanded to the east and west in the form of two matching additions. These additions are two stories high, five bays wide, and three bays deep. Their fenestration uses round-arch openings on the first floor and square-headed openings on the second. These sections are otherwise devoid of ornamentation. While these additions did cause the loss of much original fabric on the east and west sides of the original structure, the additions are low and left the original cornice of the 1889-90 structure undisturbed. In the building campaign which resulted in the construction of the two additions, the exterior of the original building was modified. The brick exterior walls were faced with stucco and the roof was simplified slightly. In 1957, the clock tower atop the main building was taken down for repairs and [was not replaced until a replica was constructed in 1992].
“In 1960, a further addition was made to the east of the courthouse. This most recent addition, which is referred to as the Jasper County Building, is connected to the rest of the complex by a single-story hyphen. The structure itself is three stories high, and its first floor is cut into the slope of the land. The 1960 addition uses round-arch fenestration on the second floor, with square-headed openings on the first and third floors.
“When the functions of county government dictated the need for additional office space, the decision was made in 1934 simply to add more space to the existing structure, and not demolish the outdated building and start over with an entirely new edifice. Thus the political activities long associated with the structure designed by Heiner were allowed to continue in their original building. The county courtroom, located on the second floor of the 1889-90 building, is perhaps the building’s most important space.” From the National Register narrative
