{"nrhp_refnum":"02000895","name":"Refugio County Courthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"808 Commerce","address_restricted":false,"city":"Refugio","county":"Refugio County","state":"TX","lat":28.296575175000044,"lon":-97.27463419799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-08-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A county courthouse at 808 Commerce Street in Refugio, Texas, built in 1917 to designs by Atlee B. Ayres and extensively enlarged and remodeled in 1950-51 by Irving H. Dunbar into a Moderne building.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the courthouse is significant under Criterion A in Politics/Government at the local level. It has served as the primary government building in Refugio County and symbolizes the growth the county experienced around the turn of the century and after World War II. The 1951 remodeling and additions define its current form.","narrative":"Refugio County's courthouse, at 808 Commerce Street, was first built in 1917 from designs by San Antonio architect Atlee B. Ayres in the Mission style. In 1950-51 architect Irving H. Dunbar remodeled it and added north and south wings, the south one containing a jail with cells for 54 prisoners. Most of the original cast stone ornament was removed, the cornice was replaced by flat cast stone bands, and the building became a Moderne structure with Art Deco touches on a tan buff brick exterior. A fire stair and elevator were added in 1985. Inside, the district courtroom keeps its wood wainscot, and the second floor corridor retains ceramic mosaic tile. The courthouse sits at the south end of the downtown commercial district, across from King Park. It has been the main seat of county government, and its listing rests on that governmental role at the local level, tied to the county's growth in the early twentieth century and after World War II, with the 1951 configuration defining its period of significance.","period_of_significance":"1951-52","architect_builder":"Atlee B. Ayres, Architect (1917 Courthouse); Irving Dunbar (1950-51 Remodeling and Additions)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Moderne","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still in use as a courthouse, its historic function.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.176872-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/62/9732/40973262/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/02000895.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02000895/189633ed0f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02000895/189633ed0f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Refugio_courthouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Refugio_courthouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973262","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugio_County_Courthouse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56278094"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/refugio-county/refugio-county-courthouse-02000895/"}