Lee County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Lee County's courthouse in Giddings, Texas, occupies a block surrounded by homes rather than the commercial buildings found around most Texas courthouse squares. J. Riely Gordon designed it in 1898, and the San Antonio firm of Sonnefield, Emmins and Abright built it for a bid of $32,270. It was received by the county commissioners in June 1899. The cruciform red brick building sits on a limestone base and is trimmed with white limestone arches and blue granite columns and steps. Quarter-circular galleries and bays, hipped roofs, gabled dormers and a square clock tower give it a varied massing in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The tower lacks the pyramidal roof Gordon typically used. It replaced a Second Empire courthouse from 1878 that burned in 1897, and it stands on the same site. Inside, the ground floor has multicolored marble tile, and the district courtroom has a stamped metal ceiling. The building remains in use as the courthouse with only minor changes.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a fine example of a nineteenth-century Texas courthouse and of Gordon's version of Richardsonian Romanesque. Gordon was a prominent Texas courthouse architect of the 1890s. The building has had only minor alterations and is still used as the courthouse.
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 75001998, listed May 30, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by Hempstead, Grimes, E. Richmond, and Main Sts., Giddings |
|---|---|
| County | Lee County |
| Listed | May 30, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001998 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898-99 |
| Architect / builder | J. Riely Gordon (architect); Sonnefield, Emmins and Abright of San Antonio (builder) |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the county courthouse; only minor alterations, such as removal of the iron fence and replacement of slate shingles with sheet metal simulating shingles. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 30.18149, -96.93699 (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 75001998.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55887794
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.