That is a mighty bold statement, but I think I can back it up. Alone this structure is gorgeous. Put this courthouse in the context of the Sulphur Springs downtown square and you have a panorama of beauty!
Highlights of downtown include:
* The perfectly manicured lawn and flowerbeds.
* Two see-through bathrooms (and they are CLEAN).
* Texas-sized chess and checkers.
* The Little Free Library (click here for more information).
* Lots of seating and places to charge your electronics.
* A lovely tribute to the veterans of Hopkins County (oh so amazing from the flags and wall of water to the eternal flame, searchable database, and the name of every veteran from our county) through the Veteran’s Memorial.
* Monuments and benches honoring the local men and women who served our great nation.
* A star-shaped water feature.
* Great shops and restaurants!
But wait, I have gotten off track! What I really wanted to share with you is a look back in time to show the courthouse through the years. Boy has it changed. Well, actually it hasn’t. It is the surroundings, the cars, and we who have changed!
That lovely, red structure has stood the test of time and served as a beacon to the center of commerce in our community for over 100 years. This beauty deserves her time in the spotlight.
Speaking of spotlights, the County, in coordination with the City, has installed new lights in the rooftop nooks and crannies of the courthouse. Drive by…you can’t miss it. Now the courthouse is lit-up like the star that she is!
Just a refresher on the Courthouse. It was built in 1894 and 1895 by James Reilly Gordon. It features double-hexagon staircases, Italian tile floors, two safes with lovely painted scenes, and a tower that one of these days I want to visit. It is a lovely structure that still serves our county as a working Courthouse.
You are correct ! Even though we don’t live there, we were visiting friends and went downtown. The courthouse is magnificent and the square is delightful! It’s like one of those towns that you either read about in a book or see in a movie. We loved it and look forward to revisiting it again. Thank you for posting this article.
Carol Rinus
Jamestown, TN
Please come back and visit! The City is working on a plan to take the downtown look across the entire community. Thanks for your kind words. I will pass them on to the appropriate people.
Curious what that means regarding downtown look across the entire community.
Great question. I can’t say for sure, but from attending the presentations it seems like the design will include less concrete and more trees/green space. The consultant did not specifically say this, but I imagined a boulevard with flowering trees down the middle of Gilmer/Broadway, for example.
Kayla,
I think we may be related. My great grandmother was Gladys Garrett Price. My grandmother was her daughter Marie Price Hedrick Jones and my dad her son, Luther Hedrick. How interesting if we are related. Nice post on the courthouse. One of my favorite places.
Hello cousin! Gladys was my grand mom and Marie my aunt, so your dad is my first cousin! My dad was Marie’s brother, Frankie. Are you on Facebook?