081 of 254: Goliad County Courthouse, Goliad, Texas. County Population: 7,210
"[In 1749] the Spanish colonizer José de Escandón moved the presidio and mission, more commonly known as La Bahía, [to a site called Santa Dorotea on the San Antonio River in what is now Goliad County.]
"In 1829, after a successful petition submitted to the Coahuila and Texas state legislature by Rafael A. Manchola, the Mexican government promoted Presidio La Bahía to a villa-a capital town with municipality jurisdiction-and changed its name to Goliad, an anagram of the surname of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the "Goliath" revolutionary in the Mexican War of Independence. "Goliad County became one of the twenty-three original counties established by the First Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1836. "The boundaries of Goliad County as fixed on December 2, 1841, by the Sixth Congress of the republic were changed a number of times. Though the county had been enlarged in 1841, when the Refugio County line was adjusted, it was reduced under the republic by the establishment of DeWitt County in 1842 and further reduced under the state legislature by the organization of DeWitt County in 1846, the establishment of Karnes County in 1854, and the formation of Bee County in 1857. Goliad County was further diminished when the Victoria-Goliad county line was moved from Coleto Creek to the San Antonio River in 1861. Craig H. Roell, "GOLIAD COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online |
I visited Goliad County and photographed the courthouse in Goliad on September 25, 2010, on June 6, 2017, and on October 5, 2017.
Goliad County Courthouse 1894"This 1894 Second Empire Style courthouse, designed by Henry E. M. Guidon, suffered the loss of its towers to a 1942 hurricane. Over the years, the tinted cement tile floors were covered, and the interior was extensively repartitioned. The restoration of the courthouse included recreation of the towers, slate roof and cresting. The historic cement tile floors were re-exposed and new replicated tiles were used in areas where the original floor was damaged beyond repair or missing. Suspended ceilings were removed to reveal painted metal vaulting. The district courtroom was fully restored to include a replicated pressed metal ceiling, balconies and furnishings. Construction was completed in June 2004."
Texas Historical Commission website Goliad County The plans for this building were first sold to Caldwell County during the brief period that Henry Guidon worked outside of the Alfred Giles firm. Goliad County purchased the plans soon after Guidon rejoined the Giles firm. Giles claimed both Caldwell and Goliad courthouses in later ads. |