Karnes County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Karnes County's courthouse sits on a hill in Karnes City, facing east toward Panna Maria Avenue. Completed in 1895, it is a three-story load-bearing brick building with rusticated stone trim. It was designed with Second Empire and Richardsonian Romanesque features, including mansard towers, conical corner towers, a central clock tower and a slate roof. County commissioners chose the builder after a contested process in which several architects submitted plans. John Cormack won the contract, but he died in August 1894, and his friend Jacob Astor Austin took over construction. In 1924 two concrete-frame additions were added on the west side, and the towers and roof features were altered or removed. The brick was later stuccoed, the roof covered in terra cotta tile, and the interior remodeled, notably in 1965-1966. A 1954 sheriff's office and jail, a storage building and a 1936 centennial marker share the grounds. The courthouse remains in use as the seat of county government.
Significance in brief: The documentation shows the building has been the center of county government and politics since its construction in 1895. It was designed and built under John Cormack, who is named as architect and contractor on the cornerstone, and completed by Jacob Astor Austin after Cormack died in 1894. The surviving fabric still reflects the original Second Empire and Richardsonian Romanesque design despite later alterations.
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 10000499, listed July 26, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101 Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City |
|---|---|
| County | Karnes County |
| Listed | July 26, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000499 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Cormack, architect and contractor; Jacob Astor Austin, contractor who finished construction after Cormack's death |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Empire; Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the county courthouse. Described as altered by 1924 additions, replaced windows and doors, and an extensively remodeled interior; restoration plans call for removing the 1924 additions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 28.88688, -97.90188 (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 10000499.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000044
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.