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Dallas County Courthouse (Texas)

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Coordinates: 32°46′45″N 96°48′25″W / 32.77917°N 96.80694°W / 32.77917; -96.80694
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Dallas County Courthouse
Dallas County Courthouse is located in Texas
Dallas County Courthouse
Dallas County Courthouse
Dallas County Courthouse is located in the United States
Dallas County Courthouse
Dallas County Courthouse
Map
Interactive map showing the location for the former Dallas County Courthouse
Location100 S. Houston St.,
Dallas, Texas
Coordinates32°46′45″N 96°48′25″W / 32.77917°N 96.80694°W / 32.77917; -96.80694
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1891 (1891)
ArchitectOrlopp & Kusener
Architectural styleRomanesque
WebsiteOld Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture
Part of
NRHP reference No.76002019[1]
TSAL No.8200000203
RTHL No.6811
DLMKHD No.H/2 (West End HD)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 12, 1976
Designated NHLDCPApril 19, 1993
Designated CPNovember 14, 1978
Designated TSALJanuary 1, 1981
Designated RTHL1977
Designated DLMKHDOctober 6, 1975[2]

The Dallas County Courthouse, built in 1892 of red sandstone with rusticated marble accents, is a historic governmental building located at 100 South Houston Street in Dallas, Texas. Four of five previous courthouse structures were destroyed by fire. Also known as the Old Red Courthouse, it became the Old Red Museum, a local history museum, in 2007. In 2021, it was announced that the Old Red Museum would be moving out and that the building would again be a hall of justice. The Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals moved into Old Red in 2024.[3][4]

It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture by architect Max A. Orlopp Jr. of the Little Rock, Arkansas based firm Orlopp & Kusener. Four of five previous courthouse structures were destroyed by fire, which is one reason why the building was constructed using masonry and cubic stone.[5]

In 1904, the famed prohibition activist Carrie Nation gave a fiery lecture on temperance inside one of the courtrooms, attracting a crowd that overflowed into the hallways.[6]

In 1910, the courthouse was the site of the lynching of Allen Brooks.[7] President John F. Kennedy's motorcade passed the courthouse minutes before his assassination on November 22, 1963.

The building's signature clock tower was 123 feet tall and featured a two-ton bell. In 1919, it was removed because it was structurally unstable. The void where the tower was would remain for nearly a century until it was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2007.[8]

In 1935, Sarah T. Hughes was sworn in as the first female judge in Texas.[6]

In 1966, the courthouse was replaced by a newer building nearby. On December 12, 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2005–2007 the building was renovated.[1][9][10] [11][12]

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  • Museum interior
    Museum interior
  • Early Years Gallery
    Early Years Gallery
  • Trading Center Gallery
    Trading Center Gallery
  • Big "D" Gallery
    Big "D" Gallery
  • World Crossroads Gallery
    World Crossroads Gallery
  • Children's Education Center
    Children's Education Center
  • Dallas County Courthouse postcard, circa 1909
    Dallas County Courthouse postcard, circa 1909

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Staff (August 4, 2016). "West End Historic District" (PDF). Department of Urban Planning, City of Dallas. p. 3. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  3. ^ "Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture". Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  4. ^ "Dallas County's Old Red Courthouse Will Soon Be a Courthouse Again". D Magazine. September 23, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  5. ^ "Old Red Courthouse Clock Tower Renovation". masoncontractors.org. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "The Old Red Courthouse - Authentic Texas". authentictexas.com. July 13, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  7. ^ Walker • •, Noelle (July 27, 2023). "Historical marker dedicated at Dallas' Old Red Courthouse marks a dark day in the city's history". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  8. ^ Writer, Masako Melissa Hirsch | Staff (June 7, 2014). "Behind Closed Doors: A clock with a view". res.dallasnews.com. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  9. ^ Texas Escapes: Texas Courthouses: Dallas County
  10. ^ "Old Red Courthouse". Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  11. ^ flickr photo and text on Old Dallas County Courthouse
  12. ^ Images of Old Red Courthouse
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Old Red Museum at Wikimedia Commons
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