ROMANESQUE BORDER BEAUTY

Citizens of Eagle Pass, Maverick County seat and historic river crossing along the country’s southern border, were determined to build a courthouse and jail in the early days of the 1870s. Bonds were sold and taxes levied and, by 1878, a wood frame construction began to serve the young county. Satisfaction was short-lived, however, and by 1884 county commissioners impressed upon their constituents that the construction of a proper structure, one that reflected the community’s aspirations, was an imperative. A year later, Eagle Pass had just that. The Maverick County Courthouse, designed by the architectural firm of Wahrenberger and Beckman, stood tall and splendid in all of its Romanesque Revival grandeur on the courthouse square. With the integrity of its exterior design still intact today, the courthouse represents one of the finest examples of 19th century architecture along the Texas-Mexican border. Although the walls are built of brick, the implications of the humble construction material are lost in the mass of the building, its Roman arches projecting power beyond the surface of its walls. A fortress-like crenelation decorates the roof edge and, above it, an ornamental clock tower continues to encompass the original works and bell. Restored in 2005 with assistance from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, this Romanesque beauty, listed on the National Register and recipient of a State Archeological Landmark designation, continues to represent Maverick County heritage.