1910 Harris County Courthouse, Neoclassical courthouse in Downtown Houston, United States.
The 1910 Harris County Courthouse is a six-story Classical Revival building of pale stone in Downtown Houston. Its main facade has a row of tall fluted Ionic columns under a triangular pediment with carved relief, and an octagonal drum with windows carries a ribbed dome and small lantern. Lower wings with rectangular windows and stone cornices extend to either side, and the rusticated base has arched openings.
The building was completed by the architectural firm Lang and Witchell in 1910 and marked a period of substantial growth in the region. Its construction coincided with Houston's development into a major commercial and administrative center.
The building stands at the center of downtown and shows classical Beaux-Arts features that Houston residents have seen and passed by for more than a century. It reflects the city's ambitions during a time of rapid economic change.
Visitors can enter the building during daytime hours and access public areas, with security checks required at all entrances. Plan extra time for security procedures and note that access to certain areas may be restricted.
The cupola seen today is not the 1910 original: it was removed in 1930, and the dome now crowning the building was made in the 1980s and put back during the 2009–2011 renovation. That project cost about $65 million and also returned the granite steps linking the second floor to the ground, which had been taken away in 1950.
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