{"nrhp_refnum":"12000290","name":"Upshur County Courthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"100 W. Tyler St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Gilmer","county":"Upshur County","state":"TX","lat":32.731078625000066,"lon":-94.94479020299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-05-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story Moderne county courthouse on the public square at 100 West Tyler Street in Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas, designed by Elmer George Withers in 1936 and completed in 1937.","why_significant":"It has served as the center of county government and politics since 1937, supporting Criterion A in Politics/Government. It is also described as an excellent example of an early modern Texas courthouse, with minimal ornament such as fluted limestone spandrel panels evoking classical columns, supporting Criterion C in Architecture. It retains a high degree of integrity despite a 1974 renovation.","narrative":"Upshur County's courthouse in Gilmer is a five-story Moderne building set on the public square, laid out in an elongated \"H\" plan. Fort Worth architect Elmer George Withers designed it in 1936, and county officials accepted it in June 1937, with a dedication that December. Tan brick covers a concrete structure, while fluted limestone panels between stacks of steel bi-fold windows suggest classical columns. Arched loggias and monumental stairs mark the north and south entrances, and terrazzo floors run through the interior. The building was constructed by contractor James T. Taylor of Fort Worth for $182,923. It was listed for two reasons: its long service as the center of county government and politics, and its value as a well-preserved early modern Texas courthouse. A 1974 renovation added new wiring, air conditioning, suspended ceilings and an elevator, yet the building keeps a high degree of integrity and remains in use.","period_of_significance":"1937-1962","architect_builder":"Withers, Elmer George, Architect","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Moderne","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still in use as the county courthouse; the fifth-floor jail is now used for storage and the 1974 renovation altered some interior features.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.164544-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/55/9738/40973855/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/12000290.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000290/ad7b346a50-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000290/ad7b346a50-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Michael Barera","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gilmer_September_2018_05_(Upshur_County_Courthouse).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Barera</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:Gilmer_September_2018_05_(Upshur_County_Courthouse).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973855","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110000074"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/upshur-county/upshur-county-courthouse-12000290/"}