{"nrhp_refnum":"76002085","name":"Wise County Courthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Public Sq.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Decatur","county":"Wise County","state":"TX","lat":33.23432348600005,"lon":-97.58693047699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-12-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A county courthouse on the Public Square in Decatur, Wise County, Texas, built 1895-1897 to designs by architect J. Riely Gordon. It replaced an earlier courthouse destroyed by fire in 1895.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the courthouse is a distinctive example of Gordon's Romanesque Revival work, with a Greek cross plan, a central tower, turrets and fine granite masonry. Its construction and overall design are described as outstanding and worthy of conservation. It is also noted as similar to Gordon's Ellis County Courthouse.","narrative":"Wise County's courthouse stands on the public square in Decatur, Texas. Built between 1895 and 1897, it is the work of architect J. Riely Gordon and is the county's third courthouse, following a frame building of 1860 and a second structure that burned in January 1895. Gordon used a Greek cross plan with entrances at the four inner corners and a central stair. The broken massing suits the Romanesque Revival style, with turrets, dormers and a central tower with corner bartizans. The walls are Texas granite in two colors, laid in alternating pitch-faced and hammered courses, with polished pink granite columns, terra cotta friezes and a light blue Bangor slate roof. Inside, marble tiles and wainscoting finish the lobbies, halls and stairways. The design resembles Gordon's courthouse for Ellis County. The building was recognized for the quality of its materials, craftsmanship and overall design, and it continues to serve as the county courthouse.","period_of_significance":"1895-1897","architect_builder":"J. Riely Gordon (architect); builder/contractor listed as Y.A. White","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival (Richardsonian) with Sullivanesque ornamentation","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition, altered (major alterations 1960), occupied and still used as a courthouse.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.187112-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/21/9740/40974021/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/76002085.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76002085/76593494e1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76002085/76593494e1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wise_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:Wise_courthouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40974021","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_County_Courthouse_(Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107319226"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/wise-county/wise-county-courthouse-76002085/"}