Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square
United States historic place
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square is the former courthouse of Denton County located in the county seat Denton, Texas. The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square was constructed in 1896.[2] Tom Lovell was the building contractor.[3] In addition to county offices, the "Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum" also calls it home. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
Denton County Courthouse | |
Courthouse in 2005 | |
  Denton County Courthouse Location within Texas  Denton County Courthouse Location within the United States | |
 Interactive map showing the location for Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square | |
| Location | Public Sq. Denton, Texas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°12′54″N 97°7′58″W |
| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Built by | Tom Lovell |
| Architect | Wesley Clark Dodson |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001438[1] |
| TSAL No. | 220 |
| RTHL No. | 1208 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1977 |
| Designated TSAL | May 28, 1981 |
| Designated RTHL | 1970 |
The Courthouse is also the final resting place of John B. Denton, the county's and city's namesake.
In 1918, a monument to Confederate Soldiers was gifted to Denton by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy[4] and placed on the grounds of the Courthouse-on-the-Square. The monument was titled "Our Confederate Soldiers" and contained separate drinking water fountains at the base, with one side etched "whites" and the other "colored."[5] The monument was removed on June 23, 2020, following decades of protest urging its removal,[6] with the Denton County Commissioners citing the safety of the artifact as the reason for it being removed.[6]
Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum
The Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum is located at the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square. The museum is one of three Denton County museums, which also include the Bayless-Selby House Museum, and the Denton County African American Museum - both of which are located offsite.
The Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum focuses on the history and culture of Denton County. Exhibits include African American and Hispanic heritage, farming, weapons, dolls, Southwest American Indian and Denton County pottery, furniture, and special collections of American pressed blue glass, thimbles, Pecan folk art and quilts.[7]
