Old Red Courthouse

Designated as public land in John Neely Bryan's 1844 city plat, this was the site of a log courthouse built after Dallas County was created in 1846. When Dallas won election as permanent county seat in 1850, Bryan deeded the property to the county, and a larger log structure was erected. In 1856 county offices occupied a 2-story brick edifice, rebuilt in 1860 after a fire that almost destroyed the city. The fourth courthouse, a 2-story granite structure erected in 1871, survived one fire in 1880 before it burned again in 1890. The Old Red Courthouse, the fifth seat of county government, was begun in 1890 and completed in 1892. Designed by Architect M. A. Orlopp, it exemplifies the Romanesque Revival style with its massive scale and rounded arches. The blue granite of the lower floor and window trim contrasts with the red sandstone of the upper stories. Eight circular turrets dominate the design. A clock tower with a 4500-pound bell originally topped the building, but it was removed in 1919. Two of the four clay figures perched on the roof have also been removed. To house the expanding county government, a new courthouse was built in 1965. Some offices remained in the 1890 structure, which was renovated in 1968. RTHL - 1977

Old Red Courthouse is a historical marker in Dallas, Dallas County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 352 historical markers documented in Dallas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 574 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7787, -96.8070 near Dallas. The nearest cataloged historic site is Women's Suffrage in Dallas County (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include First Juries to Sit Women in Dallas County, Dallas County Courthouse (1892), and Dallas County Courthouse.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5113006811. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.