McClennan County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Completed in 1902, this courthouse on Public Square in Waco was designed by San Antonio architect J. Riely Gordon and built by contractor Tom Lovell of Denton, with local architect W. C. Dodson supervising. It replaced three earlier courthouses, the first of which, built in 1850, was a thirty-foot-square structure costing $400. Voters approved a $250,000 bond in 1900 to pay for the new building. The cruciform building is Beaux Arts Classical on a monumental scale, with paired Corinthian columns, decorated pilasters, pediments and a dome crowned by a statue of Themis, the Greek personification of justice. Its base is quarry-faced granite, the upper walls are cut limestone, marble provides accents, and the structure is steel and concrete. The form describes its composition as similar to that of the Texas Capitol and ranks it among the finest Classical buildings in Texas. A granite cornerstone reads that it was built by the taxpayers of McLennan County, and the building still serves county government.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is one of the finest Classical buildings in Texas, with Beaux Arts design on a monumental scale similar in composition to the Texas Capitol. It also notes its long service to county government. Reviewers accepted it mainly for architectural significance, finding the historical argument weakly supported.
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 78003095, listed December 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Public Sq., Waco |
|---|---|
| County | McLennan County |
| Listed | December 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003095 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1902 |
| Architect / builder | J. Riely Gordon (architect); W. C. Dodson (supervising architect); Tom Lovell (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts Classical |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in daily use as the McLennan County courthouse; the form marks it as public ownership with unrestricted access. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Within district | Waco Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 31.55749, -97.13347 (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 78003095.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107317664
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.