“Old Red” Dallas County Courthouse

The “Old Red” Dallas County Courthouse occupies the block on the southeast corner of Main and Houston streets. It was built as the sixth Dallas County courthouse in 1890-92, and is one of the oldest structures in Dallas today. In fact, when the Sixth Floor Museum excavated the area on the western side of the TSBD for a parking lot and entrance, many of the old red stones used in the Old Red construction were uncovered, confirming that the western areas were used as deployment and work areas for the construction of the old courthouse. Old Red was built in a Romanesque Revival style, of Pecos red sandstone. It has eight columns of Texas granite at the entrances, and is capped by eight round towers of 118 feet. The main building is three stories high, with a large platform in the center surrounded by Gargoyles. This platform originally held a large clock with chimes, and can still be seen atop the building today. This original bell tower, with its Howard clock, was removed in 1919 because of structural damage the 4500 pound bell and hourly chiming had caused.

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