Refugio Co. Courthouse - August 20th, 2022
Visit the 1919 Refugio County Courthouse in Refugio, TX, the fifth for the county and only one built since the 19th Century
Named for the Mission "Our Lady of Refuge" established in 1791
The brick courthouse is in the Texas Renaissance style
Refugio County Court House with Christmas lights strung along the top
Oil & Gas industries led to population increase & courthouse expansion
Empresario Power recruited Irish Catholics to come to Texas
Sally was a champion cusser who did extremely hazardous man's work
The cornerstone of the original 1919 courthouse added onto on the right
Same cornerstone with addition concealing the its front with the date
Circle around the addition and find a back to schook display
View of the 1950 addition from the northside on Purisima Street
Art Deco COURTHOUSE stamped into the concrete above the entrance
Walk along the west side of the courthouse and find many boarded windows
Westside original entrance and windows around it are boarded up
Melted burned up equipment left outside the west side entrance
Must be some sort air handler or maybe a dryer?
Overgrown tight area created by a nearby Valero station
Former delivery area fenced off with barbwire up top
1947 home w/new roof across Empresario St. may or may not be abandoned
View of the SE corner of the Courthouse from Commerce Street
Kathy finds the cornerstone for the 1950 addition
The southside addition has JAIL embossed across the entrance
The additions doubled the size of the courthouse back in 1950
Stone in great shape of county officials from 70 plus years ago
Come back around to the original west side entrance
Covered entrance with designs in the portico
Look inside and it appears the courthouse is still being used
View from the entrance across Commerce Street toward King's Park
See the sculpture dedicated to Amon King and his men slain in 1836
A french sculpter created the art deco memorial in 1937
Explanation put in place in 2011 defending the sculpture as a fitting memorial
Not the armpit of Texas but sacrifice that gave us freedoms we enjoy today