{"nrhp_refnum":"90000447","name":"Washington County Courthouse","other_names":["Cbd-126"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"110 E. Main","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brenham","county":"Washington County","state":"TX","lat":30.167110671000046,"lon":-96.39766205499996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-03-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 3 1/2-story Art Deco county courthouse at 110 East Main in Brenham, Washington County, Texas, built in 1939 on the historic courthouse square. Travis Broesche of Henrick and Lindsley, Inc., was the architect and C.L. Browning, Jr., the contractor.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the major Art Deco building in Brenham, one of few in the city, and a good example of the style that retains its integrity. It is also significant for its role in the government and politics of Washington County as the seat of county government. The listing record amended the form to add Criterion A for Politics/Government.","narrative":"Washington County Courthouse, at 110 East Main in Brenham, was completed in 1939 in the Art Deco style. It is the fourth courthouse to serve the county, following earlier buildings of 1844, 1852 and 1883. Works Progress Administration assistance helped fund construction, with Travis Broesche of Henrick and Lindsley, Inc., as architect and C.L. Browning, Jr., as contractor. The steel-framed, 3 1/2-story building is faced in smooth limestone and arranged symmetrically, with a raised central block flanked by stepped wings. Details include metal-sash windows with dark marble spandrels, stylized eagles, clocks, incised geometric reliefs and decorative light standards. Inside, marble wainscoting, terrazzo floors, aluminum balustrades and a high-ceilinged district courtroom survive largely intact. The courthouse was listed because it is the leading example of Art Deco design in Brenham, where few buildings use the style, and because it has served as the center of Washington County government and politics. It remains in use as a courthouse.","period_of_significance":"1939","architect_builder":"Architect: Travis Broesche of Henrick and Lindsley, Inc.; Contractor: C.L. Browning, Jr.","architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still serves as the county courthouse (current function: Government/Courthouse); interior spaces and detailing remain largely intact.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.319529-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/85/9706/40970685/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/90000447.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000447/1e545afea3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000447/1e545afea3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Tobyc75","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brenham_Washington_County_Courthouse.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Tobyc75</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brenham_Washington_County_Courthouse.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04000154","name":"Brenham Downtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/brenham-downtown-historic-district-04000154/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970685","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County_Courthouse_(Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55637434"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/washington-county/washington-county-courthouse-90000447/"}