historic structures – Texas History Notebook

James Gaines, Namesake of Gaines County

James Gaines was born in Culpepper County in Virginia in November of 1776. His parents were Thomas and Susana Strother Gaines. James was born Robert Thomas Gaines but later changed his name to James Gaines around 1810. He was a double cousin to Edmund Pendleton Gaines (two brothers married two sisters). Edmund’s parents were James and Elizabeth Strother Gaines. Edmund and James were born one year apart. They are both descended from James Henry Gaines and Mary Lillie Pendleton, whose ancestors had come from England to Colonial Virginia around 1650.

Lang & Witchell Courthouses

The architectural firm was founded by Otto Lang and Frank Witchell. Otto Lang was born in Germany in 1864. He came to the United States in 1888 on a wedding trip and decided to stay in Dallas. For a couple of years, he worked for local architects who did work for Texas and Pacific Railway. One of the buildings he designed there was the Texas and Pacific depot in Fort Worth followed by the depots in Wichita Falls, Amarillo, Paris and Weatherford. Lang formed his partnership with Frank Witchell in 1905.

Old Red, the Dallas County Courthouse

The building now referred to as “Old Red” served as the Dallas County Courthouse from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. It was completed in 1892. The first contracts were let around 1890. Robert L. James secured the bid of $365,000 to be the contractor. The original news release indicated that it was to be built of Little Rock granite and that construction would take two years.

J. Riely Gordon, architect

James Riely Gordon was a practicing architect during what has been called the Golden Age of Texas Courthouses, the 1880s and 1890s. By then, almost all of the 254 Texas counties now in existence had been established. The Texas legislature allowed counties to issue bonds for courthouse construction and many counties did, leading to construction projects all over the state.

EllisCtyCths

Pictured: Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie (2015)

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