The Ellis County Courthouse
Waxahachie, Texas
A Texas Landmark
Standing on the square in Waxahachie, the Ellis County Courthouse is one of the most admired county courthouses in Texas. It was designed by San Antonio architect James Riely Gordon in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with the cornerstones laid on July 4, 1895, and the building opened to the public in 1897. It is still the working seat of county government today.
Built to Last
The courthouse is built of rusticated red sandstone and pink and gray granite, arranged in contrasting bands and checkerboard patterns. It features arched porches, carved stonework, turrets with conical roofs, and a central clock tower. Its 21 carved stone faces, copper trim and bronze eagles on the roof make it a showpiece. Each of the four main entrances faces a true compass direction: north, south, east and west.
Our Fourth Courthouse
This is the fourth courthouse to stand on the site. The first was a log building from 1850, followed by courthouses in 1853 and 1874. The county's growth and Gordon's national reputation led commissioners to build a grander one. Its cost sparked a political controversy, and the building even has two cornerstones side by side, known today as the "dueling cornerstones," laid at the 1895 ceremony to give credit to both of the county's rival commissioners' courts.
Recognized and Preserved
The courthouse is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places district for downtown Waxahachie. Gordon went on to design more than 60 courthouses across the country, 16 of them in Texas, and the Ellis County building is among his best known.
Ellis County Courthouse, 101 W. Main Street, Waxahachie, Texas 75165