{"nrhp_refnum":"07000690","name":"La Salle County Courthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"101 Courthouse Square","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cotulla","county":"La Salle County","state":"TX","lat":28.437439993000055,"lon":-99.23694032299994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2007-07-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The La Salle County Courthouse at 101 Courthouse Square in Cotulla, Texas, is a three-story brick county courthouse with a set-back fourth-floor jail, completed in 1931 to designs by architect Henry T. Phelps. The nominated property also includes a 1936 Texas Centennial marker.","why_significant":"The nomination cites Criterion A for the building's more than 70 years as the center of county government. It cites Criterion C for the design as a definitive work of Henry T. Phelps in a South Texas adaptation of Art Deco (Zigzag Moderne). It stands on the highest hill in Cotulla and is the most prominent building in the county.","narrative":"Crowning the highest hill in Cotulla, Texas, the La Salle County Courthouse was completed in 1931 and has served as the seat of county government ever since. Architect Henry T. Phelps designed the symmetrical brick building, which has three floors of offices and courtrooms and a smaller jail set back on the fourth floor. Cream, green and gold terra cotta details include stepped pilaster capitals, stylized eagles and shields bearing the letters L and S. The style combines a Classical Revival form with Zigzag Moderne ornament. Earlier courthouses on the square, built in 1884, 1897 and 1905, were lost to arson or structural problems before voters approved bonds for this building in 1930. Its construction coincided with the opening of the Pan-American Highway through the county. The interior retains terrazzo floors, marble wainscot, original hardware and the oak courtroom fittings. The building was listed for its long role in local government and as a representative work of Phelps.","period_of_significance":"1931-1957","architect_builder":"Phelps, Henry T. (architect); Robert Guyler Construction Company (contractor)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Moderne (Zigzag Moderne/Art Deco ornament on a Classical Revival form)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a courthouse; exterior in very good condition with few changes, though the entrance doors are replaced aluminum and window air conditioners are installed.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.00041-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/0/9728/40972800/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/07000690.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000690/ca717f833a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000690/ca717f833a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Salle_County_Courthouse_(1_of_1).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Salle_County_Courthouse_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972800","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107318726"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/la-salle-county/la-salle-county-courthouse-07000690/"}