Donley County Courthouse and Jail
Why it's listed
Two county buildings on the public square in Clarendon, Texas, make up this listing: a courthouse finished in 1891 and a jail accepted in 1904. The courthouse, designed by Bulger and Rapp and built by Troutman Brothers of Colorado, is a Romanesque Revival work with St. Louis pressed brick walls on a quarry-faced stone base, polychromatic masonry and an asymmetrical plan. The upper tower, dormers and conical turret roof were removed in the 1930s, but original interior finishes, stamped metal ceilings, stained glass and vault doors survive. The jail is a cubical stuccoed building with a battlement-like corner feature, built from plans supplied by the Pauly Jail Building Company and contracted to J.A. White for $8,980. County government in Donley County began in makeshift quarters, and these buildings replaced improvised arrangements. Both still serve their original purposes, and the courthouse is described as the finest surviving nineteenth-century building in the area.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites architectural and governmental significance. Both buildings are fine regional examples of nineteenth-century design, and they have been the focal point of county functions for about three-quarters of a century. The courthouse is described as the finest surviving example of nineteenth-century architecture in the area.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002924, listed February 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Public Sq., Clarendon |
|---|---|
| County | Donley County |
| Listed | February 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002924 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Courthouse 1890-1891; jail 1903-1904 |
| Architect / builder | Courthouse: Bulger and Rapp (architects), Troutman Brothers (contractors); Jail: Pauley Jail Building Co. (plans), J.A. White (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (courthouse) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings remain in use. The courthouse still serves its original functions with a south annex added, and the jail still serves its original function. Condition is marked good. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 34.93741, -100.89046 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002924.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q54871526
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.