One of the most beautiful of the Texas historic courthouses which still stand today is the Bexar County Courthouse (the "X" is silent and it is pronounced "Bear") in San Antonio. It was the number one photo op on my Christmas trip. Alas, the weather was horrible the entire time we were there and my photos are disappointing. The washed-out, white, glaring skies were pretty much an everyday feature. These are the best I have to offer.
It is a huge edifice occupying the south side of Main Plaza, once called La Plaza de las Islas which was laid out by the Canary Islanders who settled in the area in 1731 by royal decree of the king of Spain. Then and now this plaza has been the administrative and judicial heart of what is now known as Bexar County. The fourth structure to house the county government was authorized to be constructed for the sum of $621,000 and was completed in 1896. The architect submitting the award-winning Romanesque design was James Riely Gordon who designed Texas' most beautiful courthouses. Basic materials are Texas granite and red sandstone and the towers are roofed in green and red tile. Its architecture features columns, arches, and carvings.
This photo shows some of the detail of the carvings. Additions to the original building made in 1914 and 1926 continued the use of granite and sandstone; expansions in 1963, 1970, and 1973 employed other materials and also altered portions of the original design.
This photo of the south side of the courthouse from the Riverwalk shows some of the expansion work that has been added in more modern times.
I believe the only solution for me is a return trip to San Antonio on a day when the lighting is more amenable and some of those blue Texas skies are bright. Also on this trip I did not take either of the "good cameras," opting instead for the lighter weight Nikon Coolpix.
284 years after the arrival of those 16 families comprised of 55 immigrants from the Canary Islands, San Antonio has grown to the seventh most populous city in the United States with a population of 1.4 million.
13 comments:
Such a beautiful building, I can see why you wanted to get photos of it. It has a Moorish look to it.
Don't you hate it when you travel somewhere and all you get are those bright white overcast skies. It seems to happen to me often.
the building is beautiful.. i love the color of it.. Texas has the most amazing courthouses.
it's beautiful! reminds me a bit of big red in downtown dallas. :)
This is such an amazing building and that was a lot of money back in those days. I hope the "new" additions didn't detract from the beauty of the original structure. I enjoyed the River Walk when I was there several years ago.
You did a good job with the lighting you had. Mine many times come out too blue with that kind of sky.
Did my civic duty there several times over the years. Didn't mind being called for jury duty but hated the parking.
But the building itself is amazing. "Here come the judge!"
But the building itself is amazing. "Here come the judge!"
Looks more like a church.
That's a beautiful and impressive old building. I do hate when the sky washes out like that. If I think about it beforehand I will use a polarizing filter. But... Usually I think about it after when it's too late. There still interesting shots.
Those people look so...warm!
I think Texas has some of the most grand courthouses I've ever seen.
I didn't realize San Antonia was that LARGE!
The stone work of this building adds to its beauty.
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