Wise County Courthouse- the Preservation Ofthe Essence of the Perfect Building
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WISE COUNTY COURTHOUSE- THE PRESERVATION OFTHE ESSENCE OF THE PERFECT BUILDING by JAMES ODELL TATE ATHESIS IN ARCHITECTURE Submitted to the Architecture Faculty of the College of Architecture of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of BAØHELOR 9PSAR(piflJTECTURE 'Chairmain-© -me/îQmmittQe Programming Instructor (ARCH-4000): Willard B. Robinson Design Critic (ARCH-4631): Dr. R.A.A. Petrini di Monforte Accepted / .--•---—-—-^.i- — • DearafCollege of Architecture Mí^th^ Year III w iiætioMw ©@[tJi^TO@a Architects should not be made the convenience of contractors. -HENRY HOBSON RICHARDSON- WISE COUNTY COURTHOUSE iraiba^ ©lî ©(£)[{^ií@cn)ií^ Title Page iii Preface V Table of Contents vii List of lllustrations ix Introduction 1 History 5 1. County of Wise 5 II. City of Decatur 7 III. James Riely Gordon 9 IV. Courthouse History 13 Goals-Objectives 17 Environmental Analysis 23 Site Analysis 30 Courthouse Environmental Quality 37 User Analysis 43 Space Parimeters 51 Economlc Feasibility 59 Implementation and Initial Detailed Costs Analysis 61 Case Studies 69 1. Henry Hobson Richardson 69 II. San Antonio Museum 71 III. Marshall County Courthouse 73 IV. Henderson Mansion 75 V. Chenago County Courthouse 77 Appendixes 80 A. Courthouse History 81 B. Photo-Documentation 90 C. Design Standards 92 D. Courthouse Guidelines 96 E. Checklist for Court Facilities Design 102 F. A Selected Bibliography 111 VII \Lm ©H Oaa[y]^ii raii3®o^^ Figures: Page 1. Wise County 4 2. Decatur 6 3. James Railey Gordon 8 4. Denton County Courthouse (1895), Architects' Drawing 10 5. Wise County Courthouse (1895-1897), Architects' Drawing 12 6. Wise County Courthouse (1895-1897), Architects' Drawing 14 7. Wise County Courthouse (1861) 15 8. Wise County Courthouse (1883) 15 9. Courthouse Roof 18 10. Courthouse Historical Markers (1964) 18 11. Clock Tower 20 12. Attic Space 20 13. Circular Staircase 21 14. Surface Geology 22 15. Annual Precipitaion 24 16. Annual Temperature 26 17. Annual Sunshine 27 18. Wind Direction (January) 28 19. Wind Direction (July) 29 20. United States 30 21. Texas' Counties 31 22. Regional 32 23. Wise County 33 24. Decatur 34 25. Town Square 35 26. Electrical Systems 36 27. Electrical and Plumbing Systems 38 28. Cooling Mechanical Systems 40 29. Lighting Systems 41 30. Texas County Organization 44 31. Commissioners Court 46 32. Judical System of Texas 48 33. Courthouse Directory 52 IX 35. Basement Breakroom 56 36. Exterior Evaluation 58 37. Pavers 60 38. Windows 62 39. Roof 62 40. Banister 64 41. Missing Wood Details 64 42. Skylight (Tower) 66 43. Attic (use as storage) 67 44. Access to Attic (stairs) 67 45. Hampden County Courthouse 68 46. San Antonio Museum of Art 70 47. Marshall County Courthouse 72 48. Henderson Mansion 74 49. Chenago County Courthouse 76 mm ©mimni ©©^m\i^©m a[^TO@[D)[lOCT[](S)[l^ Old buildings remind us of the past and provide a vision of a brighter future through knowing our past. Rehabilitation, is it a viable alternative to new construction? As clients become better educated with their physical surroundings, they have become to demand a quality of architecture that existed. Architecture should serve the clients purpose and needs, not to satisfy some designers ideals. The past is a guide to the future and the public has begun a renaissance to preserve that architecture which is visually appealling, however serves their purpose. Preservation and adaptive reuse have established themselves as alternatives for architectural practice. Preservation implies the maintenance of the structure to as close as possible to its same physical condition as when it was received by its original occupants. Nothing is to be added or subtracted as to distract from the original aesthetic physical qualities of the structure's exterior. Therefore, any interventions necessary to preserve its physical integrity are to be cosmetically unobtrusive. Adaptive reuse is an economic way in which a structure can be utilized to its maximum potential for service facilities. This could sometimes involve fairly radical interventions, especially in the interior organization of spaces. To preserve Wise County's Courthouse from further deteriation is this design thesis proposal. The preparation of this program provides the first realistic opportunity to extablish goal and objectives, and project initial costs. The idea for selecting the Wise County Courthouse for a thesis is to study presevation procedures for future professional implementations. The intention is to study the historical features, evaluate current conditions, and propose solution to fufill those conditions. Although the courthouse is not in need of immediate repair it is crucial to evaluate current deteriation for future repair. The impending future of this structure depends upon the promotion of local interest that can be generated today. Wise County's Courthouse serves as a socialogical focal point for Decatur and Wise County. Both have flambouyant historical pasts and the courthouse serves as a physical reminder of this. Pride of this structure is a reasonable explanation of why its preservation is essential for the community. Therefore the prime objective is the stabilization and protection of the exterior surfaces. A courthouse facility requires space relationships, circulation patterns, security, flow control, accoustics, communications, and lighting requirements to be resolved. The program sets demands that must be resolved in the design phase The need for additional space for governmental activities is a increasing problem. Current underutilization of existing spaces could be remendied through a comprehensive environmental evaluation. A design solution could provide the required space within the confines of the courthouse itself. The possibility of injecting new orgnaizational activities into existing areas is the secondary objective. This process includes the evaluation of activities and the reuse and/or modernization of the built facilities. To just copy existing design characters would provide uneventful architecture. To depart from the existing ornamentation while prescribing Gordon's philosophies will create pleasing design current to today's standards. Incentives for this program is not only to preserve a historical structure (one that has been deemed architectural perfect) rather, to demostrate that proper design methods can extablish cost effiecent alternatives to new construction. Figure 1. Wise County, 1856. ^asTO^v ©@[U)[i^w ©\F wmm Located in north central Texas.Wise County was originally a part of Grayson County until 1856 and a part of Cooke County until 1856. Created by the Texas Legislature on January 23, 1856 from Cooke County, it was named for Untied States Senator Henry A. Wise of Virginia, who had favored annexation of Texas. Originally named Taylorsville for President Zachary Taylor, Decator was renamed after Absolam Bishop became disillussioned with Taylor. It has served as the seat of the county government since its was organized in 1856. Four court houses have adorned the hill in Decatur. Settlement of the county began in 1854 when Sam Woody, a Tennessean, led a small group of homesteaders into the area which was then still occupied by Delaware indians. The first federal census in 1860 counted 3,160 inhabitants in Wise County. As the county developed, the population expanded to an high mark in 1900 of 27,116, before beginnig a steady decline until 1960 when the county's population began to increase. Early transportation routes which passed through the county affected its development. These included the Butterfield Overland Mail Route in the late 1850's and the famous Chisholm Trail in 1860's and 1870's. In 1882 the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad Company expanded its tracks into the county creating major grouth. A second railroad, the Rock Island, began service in Wise County in 1893. Other noteworthy facts about Wise County include the following infomation: Decatur was the second largest town in the county. It served as the home of the nation's oldest junior college (Decatur Baptist College) from 1891 to 1964. The Dust Bowl Era brought the establishment of the Cross Timber National Grassland, which is located in the north central part of the county. Wise County is presently a major producer of oil and gas and is a leading dairy center. WISE COUNTY TEXAS Carved from Cooke County 1 856 Named for Henry A. Wíse Virginia Statesmon Figure 2. Decatur, 1854. ©[iw @^ [D)i©Æ^ir[io[^ Settlement of Decatur begin in 1854. The first settler was Sam Woody who built a log cabin approximately six miles south of the current town. Early settlers of this region were often harassed by outlaws and raiding Commanches. These outbreaks were eventually stopped by the famous Texas Rangers and U. S. Calvary Troops. Peace and order brought on economic boom in the area. The Chisholm Trail and railroads provided additional inspriration to a growing economy in the form of construction work and commerce. This development brought social, political, and economic prosperity to the area. The land characteristics and the addition of the railroad combined with the livestock and livestock products to influence the growth of the predominantly agricultural economy. The railroad also brought other influences to the town, one of which was the gambling trade. Gamblers however did not stay long enough to seriously effect the stablility of the economy. They did however bring lasting notoriety to the town. "Eighter from Decatur, County Seat of Wise" originated during their stay and even today is recalled in many gambling situations. Today Decatur has committed its gambling history to the past and has earned a good reputation. It is a leading dairy center of Texas; a banking and commercial center for the area; and a major oil and gas production area. The town and area continue to grow today providing expanded capabilities for commerce, industry, and new residents. A community profile has been provided by the Chamber of Commerce. DECATUR • A WISE INVESTMENT GENERERAL INFORMATION Education - The Decatur Independent School District is recognized as one of the finest Class 3A school systems in the State.