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(Photograph by Dell Upton) -
(Photograph by Dell Upton)
This is the fourth courthouse for Dallas County; the previous three were located in the more centrally located town of Princeton, which served as the county seat until 1908. This courthouse was tucked away in the southeast corner of the county, and the remarkable scale and formality of this classical edifice expresses the optimism the railroad’s arrival brought to the citizens of this timber-rich area. The courthouse looms well above street level on a raised basement and is reached by a broad flight of stairs. Four monumental Tuscan columns support the pedimented portico, which is modestly outlined with dentil molding. Above, a prominent octagonal cupola with four clock faces, each crowned by a diminutive pediment, provides a welcome grace note to this rather austere structure. Gibb, who enjoyed a reputation as a designer of substantial classical courthouses, is responsible for eight others in the state.