The
National Register Text
| The plan of the Clay County
Courthouse is in the form of a Greek cross with narrow arms projecting to
the north and south and wide arms projecting to the east and west. Corridors
extending through both arms of the cross provided access from all four sides
of the building which was positioned in center of the public square. On the
ground level, the wide arms of the cross contained offices and the narrow
arms contained the stairways providing access to the courtroom which
originally occupied most of the second floor.
The form and details of the courthouse are Classical. The most noteworthy features of the exterior are the sandstone columns on tall pedestals projecting from each of the eight corners, expressing the second floor as a piano mobile. The walls of locally-manufactured red brick are accented by sandstone stringcourses. During construction an iron cornice was substituted for the stone cornice that was originally specified. Originally the roof was hipped on a low pitch, creating a stronger horizontally than the new with four clock faces surmounted by metal details was replaced early in of frame construction. Late in the were installed--these of gable roof provides. A tall tower a cupola and finished with sheet the twentieth century by a low dome century, an iron fence and concrete course, have been removed and replaced. In 1891 a fireproof record room was added and in 1893 twenty four incandescent lights were installed (an early use in West Texas of artificial lighting). On the interior the offices remain essentially in their original configuration. However wall surfaces have been refinished with pecan paneling and lower ceilings have been installed. In recent years, along with interior alterations, many window openings have been partially or wholly filled. |