The Lynn County Courthouse, on Public Square in Tahoka, Texas in the High Plains region of Texas south of Lubbock, Texas, was built in 1916.[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]
Lynn County Courthouse | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | Public Sq., Tahoka, Texas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°09′53″N 101°47′46″W / 33.16461°N 101.79614°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | A.Z. Rodgers |
| Architect | W.M. Rice |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004513[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 8, 1982 |
It was deemed to be "an outstanding example of the type of public architecture that appeared on the South Plains during the region's formative years."[3] The listing included two contributing buildings: the courthouse, which included a jail when built in 1916, and a separate small jail building constructed in the 1960s. The courthouse is a three-story reinforced concrete structure with red brick veneer, designed in Classical Revival style by architect W.M. Rice.[3] Its facade includes terra cotta, and was built by A.Z. Rodgers.[4]
The building was noted as needing repairs,[5] which led to a $8.2 million project during 2017-2020, with services of Komatsu Architecture and contractor J.C. Stoddard Construction, and supervised by the Texas Historical Commission.[4]
In the renovation,
The county chose to keep one historical reminder in the form of blood stains on a marble wall! On March 8, 1936, sheriff’s deputy F.E. Redwine was moving prisoner Elmo Banks out of his cell in the top floor of the building. Banks managed to overpower the deputy and fatally shoot him with the deputy’s own pistol. Banks took off on foot triggering a massive, two-day manhunt. He was located some 15 miles southwest of Tahoka, arrested, tried, and sent to the electric chair. Redwine’s bloodstain is still visible today, 87 years later, on the wall by the top of a staircase.[4]
It is a State Antiquities Landmark and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
The Lynn County Courthouse is situated on the block bounded by 1st St., 2nd St., Ave. H, and Ave. J in Tahoka.
The architect William M. Rice also designed at least three other places listed on the National Register: the Lipscomb County Courthouse, on Courthouse Square in Lipscomb, Texas; the Warren and Myrta Bacon House, at 1802 Broadway in Lubbock, Texas; and the Shelton-Houghton House, at 1700 Polk St. in Amarillo, Texas.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "Bond Issues Approved". The Austin American. Vol. 4, no. 170. Austin, Texas. May 18, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Donald R. Abbe; Sally Still Abbe (March 24, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Lynn County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved April 15, 2023. With accompanying six photos from 1981 and a 1937 photo of the Tahoka Barbeque with the courthouse in the background
- ^ a b c Sarah Lazarowitz (February 27, 2023). "Courthouse Trails: Lynn County Courthouse". Texas County Progress.
- ^ "Endangered Courthouses". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 17, 2012. pp. 7A. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
External links edit
Media related to Lynn County Courthouse (Texas) at Wikimedia Commons- Lynn County, Texas, with photo of courthouse
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