The existing plaster coffered ceiling had two false beams running east/west that had to be replicated using conventional metal framing and cast plaster moldings that matched the existing molding profiles still in place. The overall size of the balcony was determined by joist pockets found within the east masonry wall. Old Commissioners Court meetings and written observations from James Riely Gordon indicated that a segregated balcony was constructed within the courtroom, but was removed sometime before 1914 for unknown reasons. This photo proved vital in determining the original courtroom configuration, wainscot details and light fixture locations. The only photographic evidence that was found of the courtroom was a grainy newspaper photograph of a murder trial in 1914. Unfortunately, there are no surviving plans of the original 1896 building. The steel-framed, intermediate floor was then removed, revealing a raw shell of the original double-height courtroom. Once the courtrooms were vacated, the rooms were gutted down to the original masonry walls and surviving plaster ceiling. Over time, the two double-height courtrooms became lost within the building, giving way to four smaller, single-story courtrooms. The overall project also included the removal of two additions built by architect Edward Gondeck in 19 (see details below) and the restoration of the courthouse’s original exterior. The project included the restoration of the original 1896 double-height courtroom, one of the most elaborate designed by Gordon, which now boasts impressive coffered ceilings, gilding on the plaster moldings and capitals, and 12 decorative windows based on the design of the rose window of San Antonio’s iconic Mission San José. Restoration projects inside and around the building stretched over five years, but the county was able to keep the building open for business throughout. Last summer the county celebrated the completion of its $9.1 million restoration project funded by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, the Hidalgo Foundation of Bexar County, and other general funds. The original Bexar County Courthouse was designed by famed architect James Riely Gordon and completed in 1896.
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