Castro County Courthouse (Texas Historical Commission)
DIMMITT, Texas - A Texas county's courthouse has been nationally recognized for its status as a historic landmark, the state historical commission announced.
Castro County Courthouse
What's new:
The Castro County Courthouse, in Dimmitt, Texas, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dimmitt is located southwest of Amarillo, near the New Mexico border, and has a population of a little over 4,000. The courthouse is the first property in Castro County to achieve National Register status, the Texas Historical Commission says.
The building currently sits on a full city block in the heart of Dimmitt, and the commission calls it "both an anchor and economic amplifier for the community’s historic downtown."
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The history:
The building was constructed in 1939, replacing an earlier 1908 courthouse, in order to address structural issues and better meet the modern needs of the city.
According to the historical commission, the courthouse nearly doubled in size with a 1971 addition while continuing to serve as the seat of county government operations.
The building was designed by Amarillo architectural firm Townes & Funk, and exemplifies "Moderne Classical Design," the commission said in their release. The style combines scaled-back classical elements with modernistic forms popular for Depression-era public buildings.
What's next:
The courthouse has already benefited from preservation programs through the historical commission, including a planning grant from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and the county is eligible to apply for additional funding.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Historical Commission.