Fort Worth US Courthouse
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Why it's listed
Rising five stories above West Tenth Street in downtown Fort Worth, this federal courthouse was built in 1933 and dedicated in 1934. Philadelphia architect Paul Philippe Cret designed it with Fort Worth architect Wiley G. Clarkson, working under the U.S. Treasury Department's Supervising Architect. Its steel frame is faced in limestone, with aluminum grillwork and window moldings drawing on Pueblo Indian, Mayan, Plains Indian and Egyptian motifs. Inside, terrazzo floors, marble wall coverings and ornamental plaster survive in the main public spaces. The fourth-floor court of appeals holds three oil-on-canvas murals by Frank Mechau depicting western themes, including Texas Rangers. The building was a Depression-era project meant to provide jobs and project strength, and it was the only art relief project granted to Fort Worth in the 1930s. Alterations are mostly interior, including a 1994 bankruptcy courtroom on the first floor. It still serves as a courthouse and federal office building.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the building to 1930s federal construction and art programs meant to ease Depression-era unemployment (Criterion A). It also presents the building as a strong example of Moderne architecture used for federal and civic buildings in Texas and Fort Worth (Criterion C). The fourth-floor murals by Frank Mechau are treated as an integral part of the building.
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 01000437, listed April 25, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 501 W. 10th St., Fort Worth |
|---|---|
| County | Tarrant County |
| Listed | April 25, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000437 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1933-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Paul Philippe Cret (architect, Philadelphia); Wiley G. Clarkson (associate architect, Fort Worth); Louis A. Simon (Supervising Architect, U.S. Treasury Dept.); James Barnes Construction Company, Springfield, OH (contractor); Frank Albert Mechau Jr. (artist) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Art Deco/Moderne |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a federal courthouse and offices; only the east entrance currently provides public access. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 32.74896, -97.33411 (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 01000437.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5354019
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.