Cottle County Courthouse Historic District

Paducah's courthouse square in Cottle County, Texas, forms a historic district of 47 contributing and 20 noncontributing resources. At its center is the four-story Art Deco courthouse, designed by the Wichita Falls firm Voelcker and Dixon and built in 1929-30 to replace an 1894 Italianate courthouse. Around it, mostly brick one-part and two-part commercial buildings line the streets, along with a hotel, a theater and a VFW hall. Most date from two building periods, 1908-1910 and 1928-1930, and many show decorative brickwork in their parapets. The district reflects Paducah's growth as a farming and mercantile center after the county seat was established in 1892, the railroad arrived in 1909 and the town incorporated in 1910. Banks, stores and later the Palace Theatre and Cottle Hotel illustrate that prosperity. Because the area's later economic decline limited rebuilding, many storefronts retain original features, so the square still reads as a typical Texas courthouse square. It was recognized for commerce, community development and architecture.